Capitals’ Oshie Out Week-To-Week With A Lower-Body Injury

The Washington Capitals announce T.J. Oshie is out week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Oshie blocked a Danny DeKeyser shot 6:38 into the third period of the 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit. He fell to the ice and appeared to be in pain, but he stayed on the bench, didn’t miss a shift and finished the game. He skated 18:31 minutes, winning three of five draws and notching an assist and two shots.

Per The Athletic‘s Tarik El-Bashir, Oshie is on crutches and in a walking boot.

The 34-year-old has four points in his last two games, including a hat trick he scored against the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Oshie has been skating on the second line with Connor McMichael and Anthony Mantha, a solid combination that’s been working well.

It’s unclear what the next steps are for Oshie, though it’ll be another void to fill with Nicklas Backstrom already on the long-term injured reserve due to a hip injury. Backstrom has been skating solo in full gear and is progressing, according to head coach Peter Laviolette.

READ MORE ON WHN: Backstrom Progressing, Skating In Full Gear

The plan is for Backstrom will to start to get into more intense practices as he continues to get comfortable, but per the LTIR rules, he has to miss at least 10 games. The soonest he can return is on Nov. 6, when the Capitals face the Philadelphia Flyers

In the meantime, Washington does have options. Hendrix Lapierre did skate on the wing against Detroit and said he felt good in that spot. Conor Sheary, who’s also been strong this season, played on the right side skating on the third line with Lapierre and Lars Eller down the middle. McMichael has also played on the wing.

Through seven games so far, Oshie has four goals and six points. He ranks third in Capitals goals behind Alex Ovechkin (8) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (5). He’s also been a mentor for the younger guys so far and has also been vital in winning draws, especially on the power play.