from Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post,

Although there has been steady dialogue, a new contract isn’t “done or close,” said Wilson’s agent, Mark Guy. Washington owns Wilson’s negotiating rights, so it’s not a matter of if there will be an extension, but when — and how much. And because Wilson didn’t elect for arbitration, it’s unclear how late into the summer negotiations might last.

MacLellan’s preference is a long-term deal, and Guy said discussions so far have explored “something north of four years.” Wilson, 24, has already played five full NHL seasons, making that potential term at least two years beyond when he’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent....

Wilson is coming off a career season in which he spent the majority of his minutes on the top line with captain Alex Ovechkin. He had 14 goals and 21 assists while playing an average of 15:59 per game — all career highs. He was again one of Washington’s top penalty killers, averaging 1:44 of shorthanded time per game. Although his physical style while playing a top-six role makes him stand out, it also led to three suspensions, one of which caused him to miss the season’s first four games and another that sidelined him for three playoff contests. The fear he instills in opposing players is part of what makes him effective.

That’s also hard to quantify and likely why Wilson didn’t elect for arbitration, typically a small bit of leverage for more experienced restricted free agents....

Washington has roughly $8.2 million in salary cap space with 20 projected roster players under contract, according to CapFriendly.com. Wilson’s previous contract was for two years at $2 million per season, and several industry insiders have ballparked the average annual value for his next deal at between $3.5 million and $4.5 million, depending on its length.

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