The Washington Capitals are holding their collective breath after seeing their early-season MVP, Tom Wilson, go down with a lower-body injury.

Wilson was hurt with 3:27 left in the first period of the Caps’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Saturday. While chasing a loose puck in the offensive zone, Wilson absorbed a counter hit from Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. As Wilson fell to the ice, his right leg got caught underneath him along the boards.

The Capitals’ alternate captain immediately grabbed at his lower leg and slowly limped off the ice. Wilson then needed help down the tunnel from the team’s training staff, which was most concerning of all.

Wilson did not return for the end of the first period and was not on the team’s bench to begin the second period.

Early during the second frame, the team announced that Wilson’s return to action against the Blackhawks was “questionable” due to a lower-body injury.

INJURY UPDATE:#Caps Tom Wilson (lower body) questionable to return to tonight’s game.

— Capitals PR (@CapitalsPR) January 4, 2026

Wilson played just 5:55 of ice time before being forced back to the locker room. Almost his entire first period against the Blackhawks was pain-filled, as earlier in the game, he was sticked in the nether regions by defenseman Louis Crevier. After dropping to the ice, Wilson made his slow way back to the bench, where he banged his stick several times and screamed at the on-ice officials for not penalizing Crevier for his misplaced stick.

Wilson is the Capitals’ top scorer this season with 42 points (22g, 20a) in 40 games coming into tonight’s action. He has been red hot lately, recording eight points (5g, 3a) in his last three games. One of those games, on New Year’s Eve against the New York Rangers, featured his third career Gordie Howe hat trick.

On the same day, Wilson was named as one of 25 players to Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. His second goal in the game was also the 200th of his career.

Wilson’s injury comes after the Capitals began Saturday night’s game already without one of their other top forwards, Aliaksei Protas, due to his own lower-body injury. With the two out of the game, the Capitals were missing 38 goals and 35 assists.