Screenshot: NBC Sports Washington
After being limited to only 44 Games Played last season mostly due to injury, Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie was aiming to play a full season as the team heads into the 2022-23 regular season. On Wednesday night, during the Caps’ preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings, he left the game with an upper-body injury.
Oshie exited the game with 5:32 left in the second period after taking a hit along the sideboards from Detroit’s Joseph Veleno.
T.J. Oshie just left the Capitals’ bench with a trainer after taking this hit along the boards. pic.twitter.com/irCBrVlR3Q
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) October 6, 2022
The Capitals announced that the 35-year old will not return to the game and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
Injury update: #Caps TJ Oshie (upper body) will not return to tonight’s game and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 6, 2022
The tenacious winger and fan favorite had already had a rough time of it after taking a shot to his leg earlier in the period.
Oshie’s had a hard luck period. First he was hobbled by a shot off the leg/ankle/foot and then he was stung by a check along the boards. He does not appear to be on the #Caps‘ bench.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 6, 2022
Oshie dealt with a myriad of injuries last season, most of which originated with a broken foot suffered in late October 2021. Despite his short season, the fan favorite was confident of his ability to play a full 82-game schedule in 2022-23. ”There’s no reason why I can’t play a full season next season. I’ll think I’ll be better than I was this season:, he told the media in his exit interview prior to the offseason.
Peter Laviolette says the Capitals’ decision to rule out T.J. Oshie was not precautionary: “He wasn’t coming back tonight.”
Ran into Oshie leaving the locker room and he wasn’t wearing a sling or anything supporting his arm/shoulder. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) October 6, 2022
Oshie is entering his eighth season as a member of the Capitals, and has played 457 regular season games with the team since being acquired in July of 2015. During the offseason he underwent a core procedure, but said that he was ready to go for the start of the season.
By Michael Fleetwood
Hopefully not a shoulder. He’s had issues with shoulder injuries throughout the years.
Hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t believe retirement is that far away for Osh.
Sadly, I think you may be right.
I think Oshie starts season on sidelines, just becuase it helps the team, and that will reduce the length of Oshie’s season.
I don’t believe Oshie being out helps the team since I don’t believe any of this younger players that are being considered are as good as TJ, even at 35. But yes it would allow the decision makers a roster spot for a young player and more time to evaluate said player during the early part of the regular season.
They may not be as good as a 100% Oshie or even an 80% Oshie, but are they as good as a 50% Oshie? I always worry about players coming back too quickly. They are competitive. They don’t want to sit and just watch. But by coming back too quickly they can hurt the team by denying that spot to someone who at that moment is better and hurt themselves by prolonging their injury or perhaps worsening it. That is why I feel Caps should strongly consider not playing Nicky until the playoffs.
Hopefully we’ll find out today that Osh’s injury isn’t serious and all this speculation is moot.
Hoping for the best Osh.