NEW YORK — With some attempts at retribution expected in this Washington Capitals’ preseason game against the New York Islanders, Coach Barry Trotz warned forward Tom Wilson beforehand. Wilson had delivered a season-ending hit to Islanders defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky in the teams’ first-round playoff series last season, and the chances of New York just letting that one go seemed slim.
At the time, New York forward Kyle Okposo called Wilson “an idiot,” and captain John Tavares had said the hit was a “complete target of a defenseless player.” Wilson was dealt a charging minor but didn’t receive further punishment from the league.