Capitals forward T.J. Oshie out indefinitely with lower-body injury

The Washington Capitals haven’t updated T.J. Oshie’s status after he exited Saturday’s game early other than to tell reporters, including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, that he is out indefinitely. Oshie did not travel with the team to Carolina and will not play in Monday's game.

John Carlson is also out with a lower-body injury and will not play Monday, but the team designated him as day-to-day. That suggests Oshie’s indefinite timeline is longer than that, a substantial blow for a team that is already without Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Connor Brown and Carl Hagelin due to various injuries. With Oshie exiting early, Conor Sheary played a season-high 18:55 in the win over Nashville.

The 35-year-old Oshie had scored five points in his first six games of the season but was held off the scoresheet in the two games previous to Saturday’s tilt. The veteran winger still plays a ton for the Capitals, including as a key part of their first powerplay unit. Hopefully, this new injury isn’t one that keeps him out too long, especially given his experience last season.

Oshie played just 44 games and had the worst statistical season of his career, scoring just 11 goals and 25 points. Signed through 2024-25, getting him back to full strength will be important for the Capitals’ contention in the Metropolitan Division.