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Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie’s big contract paying off

By Zachary Hawke

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 04: Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) scores goal during game 4 of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals on June 4, 2018, at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 04: Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) scores goal during game 4 of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals on June 4, 2018, at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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One year after signing an eight-year, $46 million deal with the Washington Capitals, T.J. Oshie repaid the faith with a stellar playoff run.

The Washington Capitals took a risk on T.J. Oshie in June 2017.

Oshie justified that risk during the playoffs in a big way.

In the playoffs, he had 21 points in 24 games including some huge goals. He opened the scoring in some pivotal games, and he finished off the Pittsburgh Penguins in game 5 with an empty-netter.

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Oshie was coming off a career year when he inked a deal which will keep him playing in D.C. until he’s 38.

Even worse, he was entering a career phase that typically sees a player regress steadily.

Unlikely to match the previous season’s numbers, Oshie entered 2017-18 with a lot to prove.

He started the season strong, but following a concussion seemed to slump hard through the middle part of the schedule.

He finished with 18 goals and 29 assists (47 points) in 74 games played. An awesome surprise, his numbers were only slightly down from his total the previous year.

Considering that after returning from injury he still seemed a step slow, this is very promising.

Good health is never a guarantee so seeing Oshie grit out a good chunk of the year is awesome. He’ll likely be asked to do this again, but everyone hopes he can show a few more healthy seasons.

If he is fortunate enough to stay healthy, and 2017-18 is any indication, then he looks capable of duplicating his career-high numbers.

He plays a pivotal role on the second line. He primarily skates with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana or Nicklas Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky.

This lineup versatility is an understated plus for the team. The coaches can confidently place Oshie in various configurations and expect consistent play.

If other skaters suffer injuries Oshie is the trusted man to fill the gaps in the top-six.

His style will change slightly over the length of this contract. We have already seen his eagerness to get messy along the boards’ drop-off. We also saw his goal total slump year-over-year, but his assists went up.

Any of those feats could be attributed to the team’s changing playstyle or his age. Knowing that he can adapt should keep Caps fans optimistic about him living out this contract at a high level.

Next. Hershey and South Carolina get cup visits. dark

Sure, it’s a rare thing to see a player thriving at 35-37 but, for now, the Washington Capitals can breathe easy knowing this guy will find a way to produce, especially when the stakes are high.

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