The Washington Capitals and right-wing T.J. Oshie announced on Wednesday, one day prior the opening of training camp for the 2024-25 season, that the 37-year-old is expected to spend the year on long-term injured reserve after the sides spent the summer trying to find a solution for his back issues.
“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup. I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. 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,” said Oshie in a statement.
“We will support and assist T.J. as he seeks a lasting solution for his recurring injury. 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,” GM Chris Patrick added.
Since joining the Capitals ahead of the 2015-16 season, Oshie has recorded 385 points (192 goals) in 567 games, ranking second on the team in goals in that span, only behind Alex Ovechkin. Oshie played in his 1,000th career game on March 16 against the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the 12th player in franchise history to reach the mark in a Capitals sweater.
Oshie finished last year with 12 goals and 25 points in 52 regular-season games before adding an assist in Washington’s four-game postseason appearance.
Oshie’s $5.75 million cap hit will be off of the Capitals’ salary cap this season. With the salary gone, Washington currently has around $4.48 million in cap space after acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane for the team’s top-nine forward group over the summer. Jakub Vrana will attend training camp on a PTO agreement.
