Capitals News: Tom Wilson gets a six game suspension for high sticking

The Washington Capitals are having a surprisingly good year. They don't have the most impressive roster of all time but they are finding ways to win.

One of their more impactful players is Tom Wilson. He can score some goals and be a strong power forward that changes the game.

On Thursday, however, he made a very bad decision. He swung his stick at the head of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.

We learned after the game that Wilson was going to have an in-person hearing for high-sticking. When it is an in-person hearing as opposed to an over-the-phone hearing, you know the player is getting suspended for more than five games.

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Tom Wilson for six games

Wilson has also been suspended five times and fined three times throughout his NHL career. His history certainly didn't help him.

The Department of Player Safety suspended Wilson for six games. For an action that violent and dangerous, it is honestly crazy that he only got six games. It is a lot but you can argue he deserves more.

This is not good for the Capitals. Wilson isn't a star by any means but he is an important player in their lineup. Now, he is going to miss six games when they are right on the cusp of the postseason. They need to win a lot of games down the stretch to get it done but it is more than possible.

When he gets back, he can only hope that the Capitals haven't fallen way out of it when it comes to the playoff race.

Wilson has always "toed the line" regarding his style. However, this was too much. You can't use the stick as a weapon; that is exactly what he did when he swung it at an opponent's face. We'll see what the fallout is from this suspension.