“The list is running out”: Caps’ T.J. Oshie opens up about rocky recovery from back injury amid retirement rumors

Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie recently opened up about the health issues plaguing him over the last couple of seasons. During a recent appearance on the NHL Network, T.J. Oshie discussed the progress he’s made.

In particular, Oshie stated:

“I’d obviously love to keep playing. I still enjoy coming to the rink every day.”

The comments downplayed retirement rumors amid hand and back injuries, which kept Oshie from being a regular in the Caps’ lineup.

Oshie bluntly stated:

“I hope to be back next season.”

While T.J. Oshie may have his heart set on returning to the ice, the prognosis on his injuries is not quite so encouraging. Regarding his hand injury, Oshie stated the following:

“I’m feeling better for sure. The hand is getting there, which isn’t really that big of a concern.”

However, his back injury hasn’t progressed as well as T.J. Oshie would have hoped. Oshie explained:

“The back, you know, is kind of a different story. I’m still grinding away.”

Unfortunately, options are wearing thin for Oshie:

“I’m still reaching out to a number of specialists, trying to figure out if there’s some type of intervention we can do. Surgically, if there’s some type of training. Maybe something that we haven’t thought of, which… the list is running out for sure on things we’ve tried.”

Oshie hopes that he can be fit for training camp this fall. The Capitals have made significant upgrades as they look to become serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.

T.J. Oshie trying to adjust his game

During the interview on NHL Network, Oshie discussed how he has tried to adjust his game in order to reduce the likelihood of injuries. However, it hasn’t been easy for him to gradually move away from the style of play that’s defined him throughout his career.

Oshie stated:

“You know, I want to come back and compete and not have to worry about injuring my back every four of five games.”

He added:

“Unfortunately, I’m trying, I’m not able to change my game. I still love going out there and making the big hits. The bigger the guys that come at me, it seems, the more I want him to fall down. So, I tried to get that out of my game a little bit last year, but it didn’t work as well as I had hoped.”

For the Caps, having a healthy, confident Oshie in the lineup is crucial to their success. The club hopes Oshie doesn’t need to change his game too much to remain in the lineup.

In the meantime, time will tell if Oshie can regain the physical form needed to help him thrive in what looks to be a deep and talented Capitals lineup.