T.J. Oshie left the Washington Capitals’ practice early on Wednesday and did not return after experiencing some kind of issue that left him slow to get off the ice.
Exactly what befell Oshie was unclear. Because an injury forced him to miss the remainder of practice, he was not permitted to speak to reporters afterward, per team policy.
Coach Barry Trotz shared no details on Oshie’s status when asked, but seemed to express a belief that he would be able to play in the Washington Capitals’ playoff opener against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
“Just precautionary,” Trotz said. “He’s fine. He just got tangled up with one of the guys there.”
Left wing Jason Chimera also left practice to briefly address an unspecified injury, but he returned minutes later and, without addressing it in detail, joked that he had to take a phone call from his mother.
Oshie, the Capitals’ top-line right wing, sustained an unspecified lower-body injury in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 28. He missed the morning skate prior to the road game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 30, but played in that game.
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It’s unclear if the two issues are related. The Capitals typically prohibit players from speaking about the specifics of their injuries.
Oshie had a career-high 26 goals, along with 25 assists, in his first season with the Capitals after being traded by the St. Louis Blues in July.
Aside from Oshie’s status, the Capitals are among the healthiest teams in the league entering their first-round playoff series.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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