NHL fans, the Capitals vs. Penguins game on Saturday, which saw the Capitals hand out an 8-3 beating, should have revolved around goal-scoring fireworks. Instead, it has left you all fretting over the status of Tom Wilson, who received an early send-off to the locker room thanks to a just-disgraced cross-check from Ryan Graves. Now, with the Edmonton Oilers on deck, all eyes are on whether Wilson will be good to go—or if Caps fans will have to brace for life without their enforcer.

Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) dropped the bombshell on February 23rd, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Tom Wilson a ‘game-time decision’ for Capitals, according to head coach Carbery.” That’s right—Wilson’s availability is up in the air, and nobody’s loving the uncertainty, especially with the Caps fighting for playoff positioning.

So, what went down? Midway through the third period, Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves decided to test Wilson’s ribs with a nasty cross-check during a 5-on-3 power play. Wilson, never one to back down, finished his shift, but on-ice mics caught his (loud expletive) reaction—safe to say, dude was in some serious pain. After a quick assessment from head athletic trainer Jason Serbus, he gave it another go but barely lasted two short shifts before calling it a night. Head coach Spencer Carbery kept things cautious postgame, saying, “We’ll evaluate him tonight. I don’t think it’s anything crazy, but we’ll evaluate him tonight.”

Here we go. Wilson is officially a game-time decision for Sunday afternoon’s battle against Connor McDavid and the Oilers of Edmonton. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com confirmed this with: “Wilson (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision against Edmonton on Sunday.” The Caps need every ounce of firepower against Edmonton, but if Wilson can’t go, the team might have to make some last-minute adjustments.

Tom Wilson’s impact: what’s at stake?

Tom Wilson isn’t just losing a guy with a mean right hook—he’s losing a 25-goal scorer who establishes the physical and scoring tone. The 30-year-old is having a memorable season this year for him and already has, thus far: 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points.

Wilson has 25 goals and 43 points in 56 games, 126 shots on net, 52 blocked shots, 160 hits (yeah, that’s elite-level physicality), and 50 PIM (because, obviously, it’s Tom Wilson). As the Caps are involved in a very tight playoff race, there would surely be an offensive and gritty void that would hit them with his absence. If he can’t make it, there is a chance for Jakub Vrana, who has been a healthy scratch for 16 consecutive games, to make a proper return to the lineup.

But let’s be real, Vrana isn’t bringing that same Wilson energy to the ice. The good news? Carbery doesn’t seem to think it’s that serious. The bad news? It’s still a huge question mark. Caps fans better have their notifications on because this decision is going down to the wire.