ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson wore the label like a tattoo during his first four N.H.L. seasons: a fourth-line enforcer who often committed bad penalties with devastating hits.



Since selecting him with the 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Capitals had tried on and off to make Wilson, 24, fit on one of their top lines, but the experiment always seemed to fizzle — until this season.

Now, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Wilson is skating on the Capitals’ top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, bringing energy, controlling the physical side of his game, scoring and playing a crucial defensive role.

“He is such a dynamic player,” Washington center Jay Beagle said. “There is no slow start for him. He goes all-out. He is scoring and making plays. The defensive side of his game, the way he kills penalties and the way he hits and puts fear into other team’s eyes — especially the defensive core. There are maybe two or three other guys that play a similar style like him in the league.”