Wilson makes his presence known when he's on the ice, but he's developed enough offensive skill to play on the first line with the Washington Capitals.

Washington selected Wilson with the No. 16 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft largely because of his reputation as a big hitter. At Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League in the 2011-12 season, he finished with 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) and 141 penalty minutes in 49 games. But he raised his game in the playoffs, scoring seven goals and finishing with 13 points in 13 games.

In 2012-13, the Toronto native more than doubled his previous year's offensive production, with 23 goals and 58 points in 48 games, before adding nine goals and 17 points in 12 playoff games. After Plymouth was eliminated, Wilson joined Hershey for the American Hockey League playoffs and scored one goal in three Calder Cup Playoff games.

Wilson made his NHL debut with the Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the New York Rangers in 2013, going scoreless in the final three games of the seven-game series.

He made the Capitals as a 19-year-old in 2013-14, playing all 82 games and finishing with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) along with 151 penalty minutes, seventh in the NHL. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound wing saw his average ice time increase by three minutes per game, to 10:56, in his second season and his offense went up as well, to 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 67 games. He also finished fourth in the NHL with 172 penalty minutes.

In 2015-16, Wilson again improved his offensive output, to 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists). But his big jump came in 2017-18, when he showed he was capable of playing higher up in the lineup. Wilson set NHL career highs in goals (14), assists (21) and points (35), as well as plus-minus rating (plus-10). He also averaged 15:59 of ice time per game, up from 12:56 in 2016-17.