Is T.J. Oshie playing tonight against Hurricanes? Capitals coach delivers latest on star winger's injury status

The Washington Capitals will be without top winger T.J. Oshie for tonight’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Oshie didn't participate in the team's morning skate on Thursday and was ruled out of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Head coach Spencer Carbery also ruled him out of Friday's matchup against the Hurricanes.

"Osh won't play tonight," Carbery confirmed during Thursday’s practice. "Hopefully [he'll be back soon] but not for this back-to-back."

According to reporter Bailey Johnson, T.J. Oshie was seen visiting with the team doctor during the morning practice, likely to receive treatment on his back. Oshie has needed frequent chiropractic work this season to suit up for games, as he continues to be hampered by back problems.

The back injury is not new for the 37-year-old Oshie, who underwent a procedure last spring to help correct the issue. However, it has flared up repeatedly throughout this 2022-23 campaign, costing the veteran winger significant time.

With these latest two absences, T.J. Oshie will have missed 29 games this season due to back problems.

Carbery shared his thoughts on the Capitals' recent consecutive losses amid the absence of both T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson. Wilson was suspended six games for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor:

"They’re Swiss army knife type players. So, what I mean is 4-on-4, penalty kill, situations coming off of power plays, penalty kills, first shift.

"Those situations throughout a game, which come up a lot, where you need a Swiss army knife type player, when Osh and Willy aren’t in the lineup, it definitely has a huge impact.”

Even when in the lineup, it's clear Oshie has been limited by the injury and has not looked like himself. In 47 games, he has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists), a significant drop-off from his production rate of previous years.

Capitals are underdogs against Hurricanes in T.J. Oshie's absence

The Washington Capitals (36-29-10) visit the Carolina Hurricanes (47-22-7) on Friday at PNC Arena at 7 p.m. ET in an Eastern Conference matchup.

The Capitals lost 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their last game, while the Hurricanes fell 4-1 over the Boston Bruins on Friday. The Capitals have the upper hand in the all-time series with a 49-30-10-5 record against the Hurricanes.

Washington is coming off four consecutive losses, while Carolina has won two out of three games. The Hurricanes have a 25-10-4 record at home this season and are the favorites, with odds of -270. The Capitals are the underdogs, with odds of +217. According to moneyline odds, there's a 73.0% probability that Carolina will win.

The game can be seen live on ESPN+, BSSO, and MNMT. The contest can be heard on WFED Federal News Radio 1500 AM and WCMC-FM - 99.9 The Fan.