TJ Oshie: 2020-21 season review

Straight-up: TJ Oshie is the heart of the Washington Capitals.

By the Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows lots of information for the player over 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

Fan Happiness Survey

About this visualization: At three times during the season (end of January, end of March, and end of May), RMNB shared an open survey with fans, asking the following question for each player:

On a scale from 1 to 5, how HAPPY are you to have this player on the team?

1 means VERY UNHAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM
2 means UNHAPPY
3 means NEITHER HAPPY NOR UNHAPPY
4 means HAPPY
5 means VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM

The numbers above show the average score for the player in each survey period.

Peter’s Take

I was wary about TJ Oshie’s eight-year contract when he signed it back in 2017, but halfway in I am elated to have been wrong.

Let’s start with goal scoring.

Oshie’s remained a very productive scorer even as he approaches his mid-30s, which is a disgusting age if we’re being honest. I don’t trust my knees going down stairs anymore, but I trust that Oshie will be above 20 goals next season.

And that’s just the part of the game on the scoreboard. Oshie’s been a consistent driver of play, a reliable forechecker, the grease guy during the power play, and an “identity” player who embodies the physical intensity the team wishes they always had without ending up in the red on penalties. There were long stretches of the season and postseason when the Capitals were down at least one center. Oshie was a perfect fit to pick up the slack in those situations. He’s long been F1 on the forecheck instead of Kuznetsov; he just took slightly more faceoffs this time around (a career-high 290 despite the shortened season).

TJ Oshie has become the heart and soul of this team, just as much as Ovechkin. The last couple years haven’t been too bright anywhere, but I’ll always remember with fondness Oshie’s hat trick on May 5, his first game back after the death of his father, and how his team rallied around him. Some moments just don’t care if we don’t wanna feel sentimental; they demand it. That’s kind of Oshie’s whole vibe: he’s undeniable and irrepressible, and he’s ours. And that’s how he’ll stay through 2025.

Oshie on RMNB

• Listen: I’m not gonna turn this section into a collection of butt-tap coverage again. Yes, it happens. Yes, we cover it. Yes, it’s adorable. Here’s one story about it.
• That said. We have some other pregame stories. Like: when there were no fans at games, Oshie threw pucks to the empty stands.
• And one time Ovechkin body-checked him to Narnia.
• And this counts as a different thing: Ghost butt taps when Wilson was out.
• This also counts as a different thing: ASU lacrosse players using the ritual.
• Oshie mic’d up during warmups.
• Oshie is a gamer. Confirmed.
• With the Caps’ center position so thin, Oshie had to fill in.
• On playing center: “I know I haven’t played the position for the most part. Me and Nick (Backstrom) have quite a bit of trust when we get back in the D-zone that if I’m low, I stay low and play in a centermen’s role. I feel like it won’t be too big of a shock. I’m not really too nervous about it. I know all my responsibilities and I’m really excited about the challenge.”
• The Dunkin Donuts commercial with Pastrnak.
• Oshie missed a game in February with an upper-body injury. Oshie called it “kind of a freak thing.”
• On Lars Eller: “He is a horse and a moose.”
• A goal of the year candidate against Pittsburgh. Garnet Hathaway raved about that one.
• Some dirty dangles.
• Baby Campbell on the ice with dad.
• Late in the season, TJ’s father Tim passed away. Rest in peace, coach.

• The team wore COACH decals on their helmets for the rest of the season.
• In Oshie’s first game back from bereavement, he scored a hat trick. It was emotional.

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports

• On the big night: “I have nothing but love for my teammates. I will be forever grateful for this night and especially because I got to share it with my brothers.”
• And later: “I like to think I had a little bit of help out there from the big man.”
• Returning home, the Caps temporarily changed their victory song to “Country Roads” in Oshie’s honor.
• Late in the season, Oshie suffered a lower-body injury.
• Finally, Oshie would prefer to stay in DC. We agree. He’s unlikely to be exposed to the draft.

Your Turn

Are the Caps right to protect Oshie in the expansion draft?

Read more: Japers Rink