It appears Tom Wilson is already in mid-season form.
Wilson was ejected in the second period of the Capitals' final preseason game against the St. Louis Blues for a high hit on Oskar Sundqvist.
The principal point of contact of the open-ice hit appeared to be Sundqvist's head:
Sundqvist was slow to get up, and had to be helped to the Blues' locker room. He did not return to the game. Blues coach Mike Yeo provided an update on Sundqvist's status after the game.
“He’s definitely hurt. Obviously, he hasn’t seen a doctor yet, but I would be surprised if he didn’t miss a decent amount of time here,” Yeo told reporters. “He has a couple upper body injuries. He’s in a bad spot right now. I feel bad for him.”
The Capitals open the regular season on Oct. 3 against the Boston Bruins. They travel to Pittsburgh on Oct. 4 for the Penguins' season-opener.
If NHL Player Safety intends on taking this seriously, Wilson could miss the first meeting of the season between the Penguins and Capitals.
Wilson was suspended twice in the 2017 preseason -- first for a high hit, second for boarding -- both against the Blues. Wilson was suspended for the first four games of the 2017-18 season for the boarding penalty.
UPDATE: Wilson was offered an in-person hearing, which means his suspension could be over six games.
Washington’s Tom Wilson has been offered an in-person hearing for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis’ Oskar Sundqvist. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 1, 2018