TJ Oshie admits he played through two significant injuries

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Joshua Deeds
May 15, 2022 (4:16 PM)

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Right Winger, TJ Oshie missed 38 games in the 2021-2022 season, accumulating an upper-body injury, out with COVID-19 and a non-related illness.

This was before the playoffs.

All the while, he managed to put up another 20-goal season with the Capitals, making it his sixth in a row, an impressive feat. Then the winger made a block that changed his season entirely.

Oshie revealed that during a game against the Red Wings on October 27th, he broke his foot. The injury put him in a boot and crutches. The warrior mentality of many hockey players pushes them into hubris to keep playing, instead of healing up and this led to an early return in November against the Sharks. This caused another injury, his back snowballing injuries on top of his broken foot.

«This year was crazy because I came in feeling really good in the first couple games,» Oshie said. «Then (you) take a shot to the foot and break your foot. That doesn't feel the same. I still had to change my skate in playoffs. Everything kind of stemmed off of that. Who knows? If I don't break my foot, maybe I don't miss any games. You guys know me well enough that once I can put my foot in a skate and I can move, I want to play. I got out in the game in San Jose where the foot was still in pain, but I thought I could play and make an impact. Then the back went out in that game for no reason really and everything snowballed from there.»

In spite of his injuries, he still made an impact on the ice, against Sergei Bobrovsky, netting 6 goals and 1 assist in the playoffs, for 7 points in round 1. He was instrumental in creating situations that led to goals like hitting Sam Bennett which led to a pivotal Evgeny Kuznetoz goal to tie up the game in Game 6. He has been a finisher as well, being set up by teammates.

«Hope to get healthy over the next month here and start training,» Oshie said. «There's no reason why next year I can't play a full season. I think I'll be better than I was this season. I don't feel like I'm slowing down at all. Anything over the last couple years, my goal totals haven't been the same but on the ice I felt pretty good.»

After Brian MacLellan's comments, it's hard to see where Oshie will land but as part of the core remaining from the 2018 cup run, it'll be interesting to see who is shipped where.

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