Tom Wilson is still sandpaper to play against, according to the latest NHLPA Player Poll.
Wilson finished fourth in voting for Which player do you least enjoy playing against but would like to have on your team?. He was the only Capital to land among the finalists for any question in this season’s results.
Results
29.19% – BRAD MARCHAND, Boston Bruins
17.48% – CONNOR MCDAVID, Edmonton Oilers
7.57% – MATTHEW TKACHUK, Florida Panthers
6.67% – TOM WILSON, Washington Capitals
5.23% – NATHAN MACKINNON, Colorado Avalanche
A total of 555 different players responded to the question meaning 37 different souls voted for Wilson, more than one player per opposing NHL team.
Marchand was the victor for a third-straight season (162 votes) while Wilson, McDavid, and Tkachuk were in the top four — the same as last season. Wilson also ranked high for the question in 2022, too.
The Capitals’ enforcer, who recently served a six-game suspension for high-sticking, also got some, uh, love(?) previously in a player poll with The Athletic released midseason. Wilson finished 13th for Who’s the player in the league whose face you most want to punch?
Wilson received 1.36 percent of the vote, falling well behind the winner Nick Cousins (28.57 percent), second place Brad Marchand (14.97 percent), and third-place Matthew Tkachuk (7.48 percent).
“He’s not a rat. I respect that,” one player said of Wilson. “But I’d still like to punch him.”
“I’d probably punch that guy in the face, too,” Wilson said in response at the NHL All-Star Game.
