Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Capitals won’t have Tom Wilson for the start of the 2022-23 season. The team announced Wednesday that Wilson underwent a successful surgical procedure to reconstruct the torn ACL of his left knee. The current recovery timeline is set at six to eight months.

That would essentially rule Wilson out for all of training camp and the first month of the season at least, with the very real possibility of him missing a much bigger chunk of games. The seriousness of the surgery will also immediately draw speculation about Wilson’s effectiveness going forward, something that won’t be known for quite some time.

A player that is known for his power, speed, and physicality, Wilson has developed into quite an offensive threat for the Capitals. Selected 16th overall after scoring just nine goals in his draft season for the Plymouth Whalers, the 28-year-old forward now has three seasons with at least 21 goals and set a new career high of 52 points in 78 games this year.

He even scored on one of his three shifts against the Florida Panthers before exiting Game 1 with an injury. Amazingly, Wilson actually skated with the team several times as the series continued, on what is now confirmed to be a torn ACL, but did not re-enter the lineup.

This news will come as a brutal blow to the Capitals as they try to reload for another Stanley Cup run in 2022-23. The team is already dealing with some uncertainty for Nicklas Backstrom as he deals with a serious hip injury and has an aging core led by Alex Ovechkin (36) and T.J. Oshie (35). While the Washington roster is still a good one, red flags are starting to wave.

For Wilson, any loss of that full throttle speed and power could be devastating to his game. Always among the league leaders in hits, he has missed quite a few games throughout his career (even outside of the suspensions) and will now face a lengthy rehab.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Sweet Carolina! Panthers bring home former No. 1 overall pick
Dodgers signing catcher to 10-year extension
Insider shares major update on return of 76ers' Joel Embiid
Watch: Draymond Green’s ejection leaves Stephen Curry dejected
UConn HC Dan Hurley delivers hilarious transfer portal analogy
Did Jim Harbaugh tip his hand about what Chargers will do with No. 5 pick?
Eagles' Saquon Barkley opens up about unexpected feud with Giants legend
Lions re-sign career backup QB
Jets' Robert Saleh, Woody Johnson had 'heated conversation' at owners meetings?
Mets release power-hitting first baseman
USC HC Lincoln Riley makes revealing comments about NIL
Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell gets candid on impending free agency
Caitlin Clark receives $5 million offer from pro basketball league
Bengals share concerning update on Ja'Marr Chase contract negotiations
MLS referees will return this weekend following CBA agreement
NCAA working to make sensible change to betting rules
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles: 'We're not trying to win the offseason'
Lakers trio achieves feat not seen in 53 years in win over Bucks
Dave Roberts offers interesting comments on Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter being fired
Watch: Austin Reaves hits incredible go-ahead three-pointer to seal Lakers' improbable 2OT win vs. Bucks

Want more Capitals news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.