If Backstrom went headhunting people would shrug and look at the total body of work and give him the benefit of the doubt because he's never been dirty. Wilson has always been dirty and on the edge of unhinged, so people reasonably look at the body of work and conclude he intends to injure not just play a physical game.

Which, like Matt Cooke, is a shame because both could play. Wilson is a much better player than Cooke, but my broad point is that neither needed to intend to injure to remain in the NHL -- both were / are good enough without the BS.