Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson's suspension for his preseason hit to the head of the St. Louis Blues' Oskar Sundqvist has been reduced from 20 games to 14, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The league released an official statement on the ruling:

Wilson is eligible to play in Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Wild. The team wasted little time in welcoming him back:

He has already missed 16 games, and while he can't get those two contests back, he can recoup that salary.

As ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski noted at the time of the initial ban, a 20-game suspension would have cost Wilson $1,260,162.60. While that total will be lower, it will still be significant.

Meanwhile, the hit kept Sundqvist off the ice for the start of the regular season. He missed St. Louis' first eight games because of upper-body injuries.

Wilson has been in trouble with the league office several times over the past year-plus. He has been suspended four times since September 2017, including a three-game ban for breaking an opponent's jaw during the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.

His hit on Columbus Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg during the first round of the 2017-18 postseason was also reviewed but did not garner a suspension. Wennberg miss timed as the result of a concussion sustained during the hit.

Wilson's return should provided a needed boost for Washington, which has gone 7-6-3 (17 points) in his absence. The 24-year-old recorded 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 78 games last season, helping the Capitals win the Stanley Cup with five goals and 10 assists in 21 postseason contests.