Today's ruling comes 13 days after Wilson's hearing with Das, who issued a 43-page decision on Tuesday morning. Wilson will be paid for the two games for which he was not suspended but did not play, but even that outcome borders on the silly for a major sports league. The Caps, who had no control over the process or the timing of any of the hearings of the last several weeks, must now pay Wilson for two games he didn't play. They're certainly happy to have him back and will gladly do so, but there are reasons we didn't learn about Wilson's reduction until after he missed two games he needn't have missed, and those reasons have nothing to do with the Capitals.
All that said, the game has changed in the short time in which Wilson has played in the league, and he will now have to change along with it, if he is to avoid future suspensions.
"I've thought about it a lot," says Wilson. "I've had lots of time to think about it and dissect parts of my game and stuff. At the end of the day, at full speed, the rink is not getting any bigger. Guys are getting stronger and faster and some of those hits at full speed - whether I can or can't make those anymore - and just putting myself in a good position, not to have the ball in their court, and make sure that I'm controlling my end of it and make sure that I'm controlling what I can do. Because at the end of the day, missing 15 or 16 games - it can't happen. At the end of the day, it's on me. I have to control that better and make sure that I'm out there playing."
With the penalty kill struggling, a difficult road trip against strong opponents getting underway, and with the Caps carrying a two-game losing streak, the timing of Wilson's return sets up nicely for Washington.
"Any time would be a good time to get him back," says Reirden. "We miss him for a number of reasons. He's a great player. On top of that, he adds a lot to our room and our energy level. His intensity level that he plays with is then highest on our team in terms of his commitment shift-by-shift to doing the right thing.
"So it's ideal for that, and then in addition to that, he's a big part of our penalty kill and the success we've had or haven't had in the past. He is one that's been a part of it, a lot of the good stuff we've been able to accomplish in the past on the penalty kill, and we look forward to having him back there in that role tonight."
His teammates are happy to have him back, too.
"I was pretty happy," says T.J. Oshie of his reaction to the news of Tuesday morning. "I don't think anyone is going to be as excited as he is, but it has felt like it has been a long time. He is such a big part of our team, of the way we play, of the culture on and off the ice, that we've been missing something. And that's been 43, so it's great to have him back."
