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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterSep 18, 2024, 04:51 PM ET
- Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie will be placed on long-term injured reserve for the 2024-25 NHL season because of a chronic back issue, the team announced on Wednesday.
The club’s decision came following Oshie’s medical examination on the Capitals’ opening day of training camp. Oshie’s back issue — which has kept him in and out of Washington’s lineup for years — progressed to the stage where he and the team felt it was time he stepped away from the ice.
“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates…I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury,” Oshie, 37, said in a statement. “I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health. In the meantime, I will continue to help and support my teammates and the organization in any way I can. I greatly appreciate all of our fans’ support during this time.”
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The back problems — among other injuries — limited Oshie to just 52 games last year, and he hasn’t appeared in at least 60 games since 2019-20. Oshie’s production has, in turn, been on the decline — he tallied just 25 points last year — and Washington has subsequently been prioritizing its ongoing youth movement. Still, Oshie was hopeful there would be more playing days ahead of him.
“I’d love to play next year, but I will need to come back with somewhat of a guarantee that my back won’t be [in the way],” Oshie said in April. “It’s hard putting everyone through the situation. I’d like to find just an answer and a fix to the problem before I make another run at it.”
Oshie had a minor double ablation procedure done on his back in 2023 to try and relieve some of the pain he was experiencing but ultimately called it a “short-term fix thing” and his problems continued. He’d also been working closely with Dr. Kerry Johnson of Johnson Spinal Care in Minnesota to help him stay healthy enough to play.
What Oshie has been going through has become increasingly debilitating. Oshie described being in such pain he could only lie on the floor and pee into water bottles. The father of four is frequently left unable to even pick up his kids. Quality of life played a factor in Washington keeping Oshie off its roster moving forward.
“We will support and assist T.J. as he seeks a lasting solution for his recurring injury,” Capitals’ GM Chris Patrick said in a statement. “T.J. is a vital member of our team and continues to be an indispensable member of the organization and leadership group. Our organization fully backs him as he assesses his current health challenges.”
Oshie had shied away before from talking specifically about retirement amid his ongoing issues. But it was noticeable that, when Washington was swept from the postseason by the New York Rangers this past April, he lingered on the ice after his other teammates were gone.
“I’m 37 years old now. You just never know,” Oshie said then. “You want to celebrate and savor those moments.”
Oshie has one year remaining on his current contract, carrying a $5.75 million cap hit.
