Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie will dominate when hockey returns

When Washington Capitals hockey returns, T.J. Oshie will dominate.

We’ve talked plenty about Alex Ovechkin, who in no doubt will be an impactful player when the season is back. But what about T.J. Oshie, the Washington Capitals right winger who’s been itching for playoff action since being on the sidelines during Game 7 last year due to injury?

Oshie was fully healthy this season and had 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points before the pause through 69 games. That’s a one goal improvement from a year ago and arguably his best season in a Caps sweater since the 2016-17 season where he scored 33 goals. Who knows if he would’ve reached that mark if the NHL finished the regular season?

Oshie has spent the quarantine with his family which welcomed a new boy into the world at the beginning of the pause. There was also a viral video of him playing dress up with his two daughters on Father’s Day.

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Oshie is the heart and soul on the Caps with his positive energy, highlight reel goals and one of the best hair flows in the game. He was second on the team in scoring and like Ovechkin has defied age.

Oshie was the biggest surprise on the team considering where he was a year ago when he broke his collarbone on a hit by Warren Foegele. It ended his season and was a devastating blow to the Caps in their quest to repeat which fell short in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Injuries had happened to Oshie before but after that incident he has since been healthy and played in all 69 Caps games before the season was paused. He was on pace for another 30 goal season which would’ve put him and Ovechkin as the only goal scorers that reached 30 or more.

But there’s nothing Oshie or us can do about the regular season getting canceled except turn our attention to the playoffs. In 53 playoff games with the Caps, Oshie has scored 19 goals and added 26 assists for 45 points. He scored just five goals with the St. Louis Blues in 30 playoff games prior to his trade to Washington.

Expect Oshie to be on the second line when the season is resumed with Jakub Vrana and Nicklas Backstrom. If he does well in the round robin, maybe he gets bumped to the top line but if that’s the case I’m sure his buddy Vrana wouldn’t be too happy about that. Those two are inseparable.