T.J. Oshie’s Time in St. Louis
T.J. Oshie was a first-round draft pick, 24th overall, of the St. Louis Blues in 2005. Fans instantly loved the Kid Line composed of T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Patrik Berglund. Oshie’s best regular season was with the Blues in 2013-14, when he had 60 points in 79 games. T.J. Oshie played 443 games over seven seasons with the Blues, in which he had 310 points. After his shootout success in the 2014 Winter Olympics, he became a face of the franchise. He had his own cereal, called Oshie O’s. Over seven seasons, Oshie became one of the most beloved players in St. Louis because of his passion for the game, his teammates and his family. In 2015, the Blues traded Oshie to the Washington Capitals for Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
The St. Louis Blues After T.J. Oshie
This trade left many Blues fans broken-hearted. The excitement of Troy Brouwer was the only thing that helped Blues fans get through it. The third-round pick was traded away. The Blues never gave Copley much of a chance, only letting him play in two NHL games.
Troy Brouwer helped the Blues make it to the Conference Finals for the first time in 15 years.
Most would say that his most thrilling moment was when he scored the series-winning goal against his former club, the Chicago Blackhawks, in the 2016 Western Conference Quarterfinals. It seemed that every time he scored, it was at a crucial moment for the Blues, earning him the nickname “Mr. Clutch.” Brouwer had 13 points in 20 playoff games that season. However, following the Blues loss to the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals, Brouwer was signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames, leaving the Blues with only Copley from the Oshie trade. Today, the Blues have nothing left from that trade.
T.J. Oshie’s Time in Washington D.C.
Throughout Oshie’s three seasons with the Capitals, he has played in 222 games and had 154 points. His first two seasons in D.C., the Capitals lost in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This year, once they beat the Penguins, there was no stopping them. Oshie was a huge part of this Stanley Cup Championship with 21 points in 24 games. Oshie was beloved in D.C. before they won the Stanley Cup for the same reason he was beloved in St. Louis, his passion for the game.
The Bad in T.J. Oshie Winning the Stanley Cup
By now, Blues fans are used to seeing former Blues players win the Stanley Cup. It has gotten to the point where it is almost funny that another player the Blues gave up on is more successful somewhere else. Almost is the key word here. The only reason it is almost funny is because it happens so often. Blues fans did not seem surprised that former Blue, Lars Eller scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal nor were they surprised that Oshie won the Cup. Here is a list of former Blues that have won the Cup:
TJ Oshie & Lars Eller will be the 38th & 39th different former St Louis Blues player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.#stlblues pic.twitter.com/pdUnEbVm3M
— STL Blues History (@STLBlueshistory) June 8, 2018
It makes you wonder how these players were good enough to win the Cup, but not with the Blues. It makes you angry at management. Is it management that gives up on players too soon? Would management rather trade a player who is almost ready for a proven player? Can management just not put a winning team together? What do the Blues need to do to be a contending team? There is no simple answer, but these questions are part of the solution.
To win the Stanley Cup, you have to have three things: talent, drive and a little bit of luck. The talent has almost always been easy to see, the drive comes and goes with different players, but luck is something the Blues need if they ever want to have as many Stanley Cups as T.J. Oshie.
What Oshie Winning the Stanley Cup Means to Blues Fans
T.J. Oshie still has so many fans in St. Louis. It is noticeable every time you go to a Blues game. Not only are hundreds of people wearing his jersey, but people are always talking about how he is doing in D.C. “Did you see Oshie scored AGAIN tonight? We sure could use that now!”
There’s a reason that St. Louis was in the top 10 markets for the Stanley Cup Finals. People wanted to see T.J. Oshie win the Cup. For some Blues fans, getting to watch the joy on his face as he skated around with the Stanley Cup in his arms was the closest they have ever been to their own team winning. In a way, it felt like the Blues were winning because he was at the heart of the Blues for so long. Blues fans have always thought T.J. Oshie deserves the world. If he didn’t have it before, he definitely does now.
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