TJ Oshie defied the aging curve by hitting 25 goals in his age-32 season, but for Oshie hitting the net seems to come at the cost of getting hit.
By The Numbers
| 69 | games played, nice |
| 18.6 | time on ice per game |
| 25 | goals |
| 29 | assists |
| 51.0 | 5-on-5 shot-attempt percentage, adjusted |
| 49.5 | 5-on-5 expected goal percentage, adjusted |
| 60.0 | 5-on-5 goal percentage, adjusted |
Visualization by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows various metrics for the player over the course of the season. A short description of each chart:
- Most common teammates during 5-on-5
- Ice time per game, split up by game state
- 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- Individual scoring events by the player
- 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts
Peter’s Take
My biggest apprehension about TJ Oshie upon signing his extension a couple years ago was how his offensive rates had been steadily declining.
Well, lookee here.
Oshie’s 2018-19 saw substantial increases in his offense at even strength, which was the main factor in him hopping back over 20 goals after falling just two short last season. Along with Vrana, Connolly, and (obviously) Ovechkin, Oshie was a leading countervailing force against Washington’s declining offense.
But there were problems. Despite our hopes, Oshie was unable to help Kuznetsov steady his play. Though opponents got marginally less offense against Oshie-Kuznetsov, Washington’s own offense dropped off significantly.
And once the Caps hit the postseason, something big was wrong with Oshie. He was out-attempted during five-on-five 72 to 29, and the Caps controlled less than one-fourth of the expected goals when he was on the ice. In Game Four, Warren Foegele boarded Oshie, breaking his collarbone and ending his season. For Oshie it was a brutal end to a brutal series, and the only bright side is that the injury didn’t involve his head, where Oshie has had at least five concussions.
I worry for Oshie’s long-term durability. Signed through 2025, Oshie is a major part of Washington’s plans for the future. His scoring this season is very encouraging for that future, but I fear there’s a certain threshold for punishment he can take, and once he reaches it there will be a reckoning. Man, I hope not.
Oshie on RMNB
- I don’t want this to become a review of Leni Oshie, so let’s just say she’s perfect and she’s an inspiration to us all, and then let’s dive into TJ.
- Oshie scored a goal 24 seconds into the first game of the season. This is good.
- Oshie got a Funko POP! figurine. It’s great.
- Check out this terrific assist from Backstrom before Oshie scored.
- In blatant Waluigi erasure, but also in tribute to his hometown of Warroad, Oshie got Wario tattooed on his leg.
- In November, Oshie got injured, had to get stitches, then returned to score the game-winner.
- Fallout: then-suspended Tom Wilson called Oshie an “absolute gamer.” Oshie gave his stick to a fan. Malkin wasn’t suspended.
- But don’t worry, everything calmed down and — just kidding — then Josh Morrissey dropped Oshie on his head.
- Morrissey had a hearing, but he was not suspended. Meanwhile, Oshie was concussed— for at least the fifth time in his career. Oshie had some pretty dark stuff to say about recovering from concussions, I think.
- Oshie got salty in a penalty box Detroit, but he won’t tell us what he said.
- In January, this happened. Oshie left the game but was ultimately deemed fine. Kevan Miller was not penalized.
- Milestone: Oshie’s 500th NHL point was… you guessed it… a breakaway goal.
- Okay last thing with the Oshie girls, Lyla and Leni, our fashion icons.
- There are a handful more plays of Oshie almost getting seriously hurt, but I’ll skip ahead to the real one. In Game Four, Oshie was boarded by Warren Foegele. He missed the rest of the postseason with a broken collarbone that required surgery.
- Instead of wallowing in that bummer, I leave you on this amazing highlight from Game Two. Oshie extravagantly kicks the stick out of Williams hands before scoring. Maximum style points.
Your Turn
Why didn’t Oshie-Kuznetsov work out as a pairing? And do you think there’s something about how TJ Oshie plays that puts him at higher risk for injury?
Read more: Japers Rink
