T.J. Oshie
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of
it.”
-- Alfred Hitchcock
One cannot help but think we have been here before, at the dawn of a new season wondering if a player to whom fans have become attached will be watching him for his last turn around the league as a Washington Capital. Last season, it was Braden Holtby that Caps fans wondered about, if he was playing his final season as a Capital with his contract about to expire and his likely price tag for renewal exceeding what the Caps were able (or perhaps willing) to pay.
This year, it is T.J. Oshie about whom Caps fans might wonder. It might be for a different reason, and the attachments to Oshie might be a different sort than those fans had with Holtby, but here we are once more. With Holtby, it was an expiring contract that fans anticipated would bring his tenure with the Caps to an end. With Oshie, it is the new entry in the NHL, the Seattle Kraken, who are widely believed to have Oshie on their radar as a possible expansion draft selection, perhaps even the team's first captain. Holtby was a home-grown product, drafted by the Caps, developed by the Caps, and who eventually became arguably the best goaltender in team history. Oshie was drafted by a different franchise (St. Louis), grew up with a different fan base, built a solid resume in a different uniform before arriving in Washington.
But entering his sixth, and perhaps final season in Washington, Oshie is among the most beloved players of this, or any other era of Capitals hockey. His hard-nosed style in which he always seems to be punching up in weight class, his skill, his fearless approach to the game, and his community service combine to make him a favorite in Capitals Nation.
It did not hurt that he found a level in his game in Washington he did not have in St. Louis. In seven seasons with the Blues, Oshie topped 20 goals only once (21 in 2013-2014). In five seasons in Washington, he has failed to reach 20 goals only once with (18 in 2017-2018). And he made up for that shortcoming that season by scoring a career-high eight postseason goals in 24 games as the Caps went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Odd Oshie Fact… T.J. Oshie was an inconsiderate guest in 2019-2020. In 18 games in which he recorded a point on the road, the Caps were 16-2-0.
Odd Oshie Fact II… Oshie did not record a shot on goal in 11 games last season. The Caps won ten of them (10-1-0). While at the other end, he recorded four or more shots in nine games, and the Caps lost five of them (4-4-1).
Fearless’ Take…
Oshie comes into the 2020-2021 season having posted his fourth 25-plus goal season (26) in five years with the Caps. Those four 25-plus goal seasons already rank Oshie tied for eighth on the all-time list of Caps with 25-goal seasons (with Dennis Maruk). It might be only an abbreviated schedule that will keep him from reaching the top five in club history in that category this season, tied with the likes of Alexander Semin, Bob Carpenter, and Dave Christian. Oshie’s improved goal production has been a product of uncommon shooting efficiency. In his five seasons with the Caps, Oshie has a 17.5 shooting percentage, tied for second (with Leon Draisaitl) among 293 skaters recording at least 500 shots on goal. Only Mark Scheifele has been better (17.8 percent).
Cheerless’ Take…
T.J. Oshie dressed for all 69 games for the Caps last season. What is noteworthy about that is it is the first instance in Oshie’s 12-year NHL career in which he dressed for every one of his team’s games. He missed 37 games over his first four seasons with Washington. Oshie is as tough as they come, and his ability to produce those four 25-goal seasons with the Caps is more amazing in the context of the games missed and any lingering effects of injury. But he also just turned 34 years of age, too.
Potential Milestones to Reach in 2020-2021:
- 600 career points (he currently has 567)
- 100 career power play assists (99)
- 400 games played as a Capital (360)
- 300 points as a Capital (257)
- Top-20 in goals scored as a Capital (128; needs two to pass Alan Haworth (129) for 20th place)
The Big Question… Can T.J. Oshie maintain the pace?
T.J. Oshie found his goal scoring touch in Washington. His 128 goals in five seasons in Washington are second only to Alex Ovechkin with the club over that span (231). But the question is, having turned 34 years old, does Oshie still have that touch? There are five active players in the NHL with at least one 25-goal season after turning 34 (Patrick Marleau (four), Zach Parise (two), Patrice Bergeron, Joe Pavelski, and Alex Ovechkin). In an abbreviated season, getting to 25 would be a reach, but can Oshie score at that pace (17 goals in a 56-game season)? Oshie has been a consistently efficient shooter with the Caps (17.5 shooting percentage over five seasons), and he has been consistent in producing shots (2.03 shots per game over five seasons). Until he doesn’t do it (and age will take care of that, as it does for all players), the only thing that would seem to keep Oshie from maintaining his scoring pace is his ability to stay in the lineup.
In the end…
T.J. Oshie is part of one of the stranger trades in Caps history. He was obtained from the St. Louis Blues in July 2015 for winger Troy Brouwer, goalie Pheonix Copley, and a 2016 third-round draft pick. Copley ended up coming back to the Caps (part of the Kevin Shattenkirk trade in February 2017), as did that third round pick in 2016 (with which the Caps took forward Garrett Pilon). Of those mentioned, only Oshie remains in the NHL at the moment (Copley is in the minors, and Brouwer is an unsigned free agent).
But whether here or in St. Louis, Oshie proved himself to be a productive player on the ice and a fan favorite off it, at times inspiring rather intense feelings. As this season unfolds, one cannot help but wonder if the reaction of a young fan in St. Louis upon his departure from the Blues might be a feeling shared by Caps fans after this season. But in the meantime, Oshie has been, and continues to be a pleasure to watch.
Projection: 54 games, 18-19-37, plus-3
Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America
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