1rw

[g00n]

Oshie sure isn't a shoot first guy. What's that leave you?

Oshie's 162 shots last year would've been 3rd on the Caps behind Ovechkin (395) and Carlson (193). Last year he was on a team with several forwards that took a lot of shots. Not so now, and this year I think he'll be shooting even more. Plus, two years ago Oshie had the most shots of any RW on his team. Last year that role was blown up by Tarasenko.

So painting this guy as Mojo part 2 with the shot allergy is barking up the wrong tree, imo. If he can get 180-200 shots at RW1 that line will thrive.

 

[PB12]

I just feel like on the first line there is less pressure on TJ.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Why are we worried about pressure on Oshie? The dude's been a focal point of the Olympic team, for Ovechkin's sake.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Oshie's 162 shots last year would've been 3rd on the Caps behind Ovechkin (395) and Carlson (193). Last year he was on a team with several forwards that took a lot of shots. Not so now, and this year I think he'll be shooting even more. Plus, two years ago Oshie had the most shots of any RW on his team. Last year that role was blown up by Tarasenko.

So painting this guy as Mojo part 2 with the shot allergy is barking up the wrong tree, imo. If he can get 180-200 shots at RW1 that line will thrive.

He just had his 2nd best shooting total for a season (162), his best year was 3 seasons ago (188). He's at least a marginally higher shot producer than Mojo (best year last season 138). Overall I'm not holding my breath that Oshie suddenly puts up much higher shot production and goal totals. Obviously would LOVE to be wrong.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If he only puts up 20g and 50pts, and has his typical playoff performance, I wonder how fast he becomes the next whipping boy around here?

 

[txpd]

Oshie's 162 shots last year would've been 3rd on the Caps behind Ovechkin (395) and Carlson (193). Last year he was on a team with several forwards that took a lot of shots. Not so now, and this year I think he'll be shooting even more. Plus, two years ago Oshie had the most shots of any RW on his team. Last year that role was blown up by Tarasenko.

So painting this guy as Mojo part 2 with the shot allergy is barking up the wrong tree, imo. If he can get 180-200 shots at RW1 that line will thrive.

Just for clarification. From what I saw Oshie played the point on the 1st pp unit as opposed to MJ who played in the corner on the pp.

 

[g00n]

Oshie has 929 shots in 443 career regular season games.
Mojo has 477 shots in 345 career regular season games.

Oshie's stat line is 110/200/310 at +71 and 239 PIM in his career.
Mojo's is 61/125/186 at -15 and 36 PIM in his career.

No way you look at these guys as the same kind of "pass first" player. Teams will have to pay much more attention to Oshie at RW1 than Mojo.


As for the poll, I'd be Ok with either. As I said a while back we'll see both at RW1 just as we'll probably see a rotation between 2LW and 3LW.

 

[txpd]

If he only puts up 20g and 50pts, and has his typical playoff performance, I wonder how fast he becomes the next whipping boy around here?

depends on how streaky he is. If he has a hot streak out of the gate, like Johansson did last season, and then a long dry spell and then a quiet playoffs, he will be hated. It will a while thought. playoffs at least.

 

[g00n]

He just had his 2nd best shooting total for a season (162), his best year was 3 seasons ago (188). He's at least a marginally higher shot producer than Mojo (best year last season 138). Overall I'm not holding my breath that Oshie suddenly puts up much higher shot production and goal totals. Obviously would LOVE to be wrong.

Yes, Oshie has gone as high as 188 while Mojo had to be pestered into taking 138. Mojo's previous high was 107 and that's right around where his shot rate usually is. Meanwhile, Oshie has been over 150 shots four times and that's right about where his career average falls.

The point still being that Oshie is going to command more attention IF he's in that RW1 spot, which is what that line needs more than just a plug digging pucks out of the corner or playing fetch.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Another marginal upgrade IMO. Unless he's scoring at a 30g pace or higher and/or Ovy isn't scoring at his normal 50g pace, I don't see Defenses shifting towards ANYONE opposite Ovy.

 

[Ajax1995]

No way you look at these guys as the same kind of "pass first" player. Teams will have to pay much more attention to Oshie at RW1 than Mojo.

Plus Oshie is actually a right winger not someone wedged in there because there doesn't seem to be a better option...

 

[Carlzner]

Another marginal upgrade IMO. Unless he's scoring at a 30g pace or higher and/or Ovy isn't scoring at his normal 50g pace, I don't see Defenses shifting towards ANYONE opposite Ovy.

 

[Ajax1995]

Another marginal upgrade IMO.

Oshie put up 42 ES points in 72 games last season, which is pretty much the same pace as Ovechkin and Backstrom produced at ES last season. The next best Cap forward at ES last season was Johansson at 32 in 82 games. Obviously it was a revolving door at right wing on the 1st line last season but if you use Johansson as the benchmark, and realistically it should be lower IMO, how is a guy who put up 10 more points in 10 fewer games only a marginal upgrade?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Why are we worried about pressure on Oshie? The dude's been a focal point of the Olympic team, for Ovechkin's sake.

I see what you did there

 

[PB12]

Why are we worried about pressure on Oshie? The dude's been a focal point of the Olympic team, for Ovechkin's sake.

It's not that kind of pressure. Can TJ carry the line when the young ones are still learning., If the guys are developed I have no problem.

 

[artilector]

If he only puts up 20g and 50pts, and has his typical playoff performance, I wonder how fast he becomes the next whipping boy around here?

I am going to reveal a terrible truth to you -- if he/his line sucks in playoffs, he will be criticized, same as anybody else.

 

[Raikkonen]

Can we go wrong at all?

Ovie-Nicky-TJO
Swede-Kuz-JW

Ovie-Kuz-TJO
Swede-Nicky-JW

Ovie-Nicky-JW
Swede-Kuz-TJO

Ovie-Kuz-JW
Swede-Nicky-TJO

I'm OK with any of this.

 

[HTFN]

Why does someone have to be pass or shoot first players suddenly? Oshie strikes me as a "take what you give me" guy, which is great for 1RW. Maybe he's not a shot turret like our boy, but if you treat him like Backstrom and back off of his scoring angles, he's likely to take it and keep you honest, and he's skilled enough to make you pay. Someone like Hossa isn't exactly shoot first, but nobody would mock him for a supposed aversion to scoring either, because he seems equally likely to fill either role depending on what his gut dictates.

if Oshie can be the guy to force a turnover and not hesitate and think "check for Ovie first, then consider scoring", we're winning this one. He just seems like an offensive tools guy, capable of being more than warm meat.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

We were talking a shots differential that's not huge IMO. You HAVE looked at his goal totals historically I'm assuming? Don't tell me you're in the "he's going to suddenly explode offensively" group?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I am going to reveal a terrible truth to you -- if he/his line sucks in playoffs, he will be criticized, same as anybody else.

I asked how quickly, your answer was obvious....I want to see how fast he's turned on if he struggles AT ALL upon arrival.

 

[Calicaps]

Why does someone have to be pass or shoot first players suddenly? Oshie strikes me as a "take what you give me" guy, which is great for 1RW. Maybe he's not a shot turret like our boy, but if you treat him like Backstrom and back off of his scoring angles, he's likely to take it and keep you honest, and he's skilled enough to make you pay. Someone like Hossa isn't exactly shoot first, but nobody would mock him for a supposed aversion to scoring either, because he seems equally likely to fill either role depending on what his gut dictates.

if Oshie can be the guy to force a turnover and not hesitate and think "check for Ovie first, then consider scoring", we're winning this one. He just seems like an offensive tools guy, capable of being more than warm meat.

This all the time.

Exactly why I'm so excited by this acquisition.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Why does someone have to be pass or shoot first players suddenly? Oshie strikes me as a "take what you give me" guy, which is great for 1RW. Maybe he's not a shot turret like our boy, but if you treat him like Backstrom and back off of his scoring angles, he's likely to take it and keep you honest, and he's skilled enough to make you pay. Someone like Hossa isn't exactly shoot first, but nobody would mock him for a supposed aversion to scoring either, because he seems equally likely to fill either role depending on what his gut dictates.

if Oshie can be the guy to force a turnover and not hesitate and think "check for Ovie first, then consider scoring", we're winning this one. He just seems like an offensive tools guy, capable of being more than warm meat.

You don't score almost 500 NHL goals being a deferrer.

You're right though, they don't have to be, but their playing tendencies show what they are.

Oshie has to produce as a triggerman IMO, playing with 8-19, to maximize the results from that group. That's why some here have JW as the wing there....they need a guy who will score to get D's to gravitate away from 8 at all.

 

[HTFN]

You don't score almost 500 NHL goals being a deferrer.

You're right though, they don't have to be, but their playing tendencies show what they are.

Oshie has to produce as a triggerman IMO, playing with 8-19, to maximize the results from that group. That's why some here have JW as the wing there....they need a guy who will score to get D's to gravitate away from 8 at all.

No, but I don't feel like that's what I was getting at, either. He won't defer out of habit or reluctance, but because of reads, and in that way I view them similarly. In a role where Oshie is actually the least threatening on his line, if he can just be the guy who takes the play in front of him, things should be fine. Backstrom still takes his sweet time to realize "oh, I guess they're giving me the shot" before he peppers it, and our third wheels have either been lacking skill to make guys pay for forgetting about them, or are otherwise afraid of making plays for themselves. On a line where you can't afford to give Backstrom all day with the puck and you can't afford to leave Ovechkin open, Oshie (or Williams, really, this doesn't matter) will get a lot of easy reads that at least force attention to them, make them threatening, and cause breakdowns.

It's one thing when it's Tom Wilson, but no coach is going to appreciate letting Oshie or Williams get 4-6 good opportunities while his guys are looking for that Ovechkin feed instead.

 

[trick9]

Rotate them.

Williams seems like the perfect kind of winger for OV+Nick but then again i wouldn't be shocked if Oshie would explode next to them and become near PPG player. Best-case scenario for me would propably be that Williams can climb up his totals with OV+Nick which would make that line defensively great too (so they can play them against other teams top lines at times) while Oshie gets 60-70 points on the 2nd line with Kuznetsov and one of the Swedes.

 

[PB12]

Rotate them.

Williams seems like the perfect kind of winger for OV+Nick but then again i wouldn't be shocked if Oshie would explode next to them and become near PPG player. Best-case scenario for me would propably be that Williams can climb up his totals with OV+Nick which would make that line defensively great too (so they can play them against other teams top lines at times) while Oshie gets 60-70 points on the 2nd line with Kuznetsov and one of the Swedes.

Yeah you see that is problem I have right there. I don't see it as the best of both worlds with Oshie where he has a career high on the 2nd line. I'm not trying to be rude, but I just don't see it. If Oshie does gel with the 2nd line by mid season the most I see him getting is his 50-55. You want Oshie to get his 60-70, you put him with Nick and OV.