T.J. Oshie Likely Out For The Playoffs

While the Capitals are only saying that T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely, it appears he’s out on a long-term basis.  Isabelle Khurshudyan and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post report that the winger is unlikely to play again this postseason, no matter how far Washington advances.

The team is calling Oshie’s injury an upper-body issue but he was seen in a sling following Game Four of their first-round series against Carolina after taking a hit from Hurricanes winger Warren Foegele.  While the Caps were hoping for some form of supplementary discipline on the hit, the Department of Player Safety opted not to hand anything down.

Oshie’s loss is a big blow to deal with for Washington.  He played a key role in their Stanley Cup run last year and finished in the top five in team scoring during the regular season despite missing 11 games due to a concussion; his 0.78 point per game average was the second-best of his career.  He’s the second core player to have a premature end to his season after defenseman Michal Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring last month.

Of course, the injuries in this series aren’t limited to the Capitals.  The Hurricanes find themselves without wingers Andrei Svechnikov (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body), and Jordan Martinook (leg) and none of them are expected to be in the lineup as the series resumes later today.