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Oshie on Odd Reason Blues Might Have Traded Him to Capitals

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Former NHL forward T.J. Oshie has shed new light on the trade that sent him from the St. Louis Blues to the Washington Capitals, revealing an unexpected reason behind the blockbuster move.

Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Oshie explained that his use of Accelerated Recovery Performance (ARP)—an electrotherapy tool that combines electrical currents with active range-of-motion exercises—may have played a role in the Blues’ decision to move him.

“I actually got into it because I was so injured,” Oshie said. Noting that he was lifting heavy weights in the gym and his back was in rough shape as a result, “I used it before one game and my back pain disappeared.”

. @TJOshie77 believes his ARP training may have lead to him being traded out of St. Louis.https://t.co/XvCLzbdpI8 pic.twitter.com/TTuPteOsuv
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 7, 2025

Oshie was so impressed with the results that he wanted to pivot his workout regimen. He admitted that after informing the Blues he would be easing back on team workouts in favor of ARP sessions, the organization decided to trade him.

“Maybe part of the reason I got traded from St. Louis,” he said. “I told them I wasn’t doing the team’s training anymore. I was doing the ARP.”

The crew at Spittin’ Chiclets had a hard time believing that was why the Blues would choose to move on, but Oshie was serious when he said he believed it was part of the motivation for the organization to go a different direction.

The Trade Worked Out Great for the Capitals

The move sent Oshie to Washington in exchange for Troy Brouwer, Phoenix Copley, and a third-round pick, with Brouwer playing just one season and Copley appearing in only two games for the Blues.

Oshie would later help the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, proving the trade was a turning point in his career and a huge win for Washington.

The Blues, if they did in fact trade Oshie because he wanted to try another type of workout, look like they dropped the ball on that decision.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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