$45,500,000 Washington Capitals forward finally addresses trade rumors after signing blockbuster extension

Amid a lengthy offseason, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson found himself in a rather unusual situation. His name began trending on social media, with numerous reports and posts suggesting that he could be on the move to another team.

For Wilson, it was not the first time he had been the subject of trade rumors, but this time it felt different, causing some confusion and unease.

As the rumors swirled around him, Wilson decided to take matters into his own hands and look further into the talks without falling down the rabbit hole of speculation.

"I think a couple of times I just texted my agent and was like, 'What's going on?'" said Wilson.

Fortunately, his agent was able to reassure him that everything was under control and that the trade talks were merely a false narrative.

While Wilson acknowledged that seeing his name in trade rumors was strange, he also found amusement in observing fans' reactions to the news.

Wilson said:

"Weird would be a good way to put it. But that's part of it all - it's a business."

"Some of the stuff, you're only human, you can of take it in for what it's worth," added Wilson. "It can be funny to listen to that stuff. I think they know that I'm going to go out and play as hard as I can against them next year and maybe there were excited about maybe possibly having that be for their city, but they'll probably tell you not now."

The Washington Capitals Winger continued:

"It is what it is... there's a lot of different options that get voiced now with social media and stuff and it can obviously get a little bit carried away, but I'm glad it didn't have to go too far before we could kind of put that stuff to bed and just get back to being a Cap."

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Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan's role in assuring forward Tom Wilson

Washington Capitals General Manager, Brian MacLellan, also played a significant role in calming Wilson's nerves. MacLellan kept in touch with Wilson's agent regularly, making sure that the player was well-informed and at ease throughout the process. He emphasized that the trade talks were part of the offseason chatter and not a serious consideration by the team.

Signing a seven-year, $45.5 million contract on Thursday, Wilson put an end to the trade speculations. The new deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6.5 million, ensuring that the homegrown power forward will likely remain a fixture in the Washington Capitals lineup for the rest of his NHL career.