The Washington Capitals suffered a hit to their lineup during Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as winger T.J. Oshie had to be helped off the ice after suffering a non-contact injury.
Oshie left the game midway through the third period of the game after appearing to tweak something in his body when making a sharp turn to protect the puck. Based on his reaction to the play, it’s likely that it is a lower-body injury, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
Oshie left the game with a secondary assist on the 3-1 Washington goal and a shot in 16:37 of ice time as the Capitals went on to beat the Lightning 5-3.
The Everett, Washington product tweeted after the game “I’ll be back. Thanks for the love Caps fans.” However, there’s no confirmation on if a return is imminent.
Oshie has struggled production-wise this season, as he has just 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points in 38 games. Assuming his injury doesn’t keep him out of the lineup, he’s on pace for only 30 points, which would be his lowest point total in a season with more than 60 games played.
Oshie was the 24th-overall pick for the St. Louis Blues in the 2005 NHL Draft, and spent seven seasons in St. Louis before he was dealt to the Capitals in 2015. He’s since spent nine seasons in Washington, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 2018.
Oshie is currently in the seventh year of an eight-year contract with a $5.75 million cap hit, one he signed as an extension in 2017, just a year before their Cup win.
The Capitals currently sits in fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 26-21-8 record, which is five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington will look to extend their three-game winning streak when they visit the Florida Panthers on Saturday at 6 p.m. EST.
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