The Washington Capitals will face elimination when they take on the Florida Panthers at home for Game Six, Friday. But it’s possible they could get a surprise boost in the lineup that night.

RMNB reader Russ Gathright witnessed Tom Wilson skating at MedStar Capitals Iceplex late Thursday afternoon.

Gathright writes:

I was just at MedStar going through the team store and saw Wilson flying around on the ice around 2:40 PM. He was looking good. I just happened to be in the store. It was just him and it looked like a trainer on the bench talking to him. He was wearing a white jersey.

I was told I wasn’t allowed to take pics because they wanted to keep his skate secret. I have a feeling he will be out there for the morning skate tomorrow. He was skating really well.

RMNB was able to verify Russ’s report.

Wilson traveled with the team to Tampa Bay for Game Five but did not play. A source close to the team tells RMNB that the Capitals flew back home from Florida this morning and touched down at Dulles around 1:30 PM. A second source told RMNB that several players were aware Wilson skated.

A Capitals representative confirmed Wilson was on the ice. When asked if Wilson’s status has changed, the Caps’ rep said, “It was all part of his rehab. Tom remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.”

Wilson has been out of the lineup since being injured early in Game One. A shift after scoring the Capitals’ first goal of the postseason, Wilson tried to deliver a big hit to MacKenzie Weegar behind the net and slammed hard into the boards. Wilson left the ice and went down the tunnel to the locker room. He tried to come back later that night, taking a twirl around the ice during a second period TV timeout, but ultimately could not finish the game. During their postgame show, NBC Sports Washington showed a replay of one of Wilson’s skates being twisted awkwardly.

The Capitals’ classified Wilson’s lower-body injury as day-to-day. He has missed Games Two, Three, Four, and Five.

106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen said before Game Three on his radio show that “a little birdie” told him that Wilson has “a pretty serious knee injury that he’s dealing with and it’s gonna be a while.” Paulsen predicted Wilson would miss the rest of the series and maybe even the rest of the Capitals’ postseason run.

Now all eyes will turn to the Capitals’ morning skate at 10:30 am. Did Wilson’s skate go well enough today where he thinks he can rejoin the team? We shall see.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB