T.J. Oshie is still finding his way in the National Hockey League. The offensive side of his game remains in development.
But the way the kid plays – full tilt, crashing around the offensive zone like a pinball, dumping opposing players – is critical to the success of his team.
So the broken ankle he suffered Wednesday night devastated the Blues.
Other injuries have hurt this team. Defenseman Roman Polak is a bulwark for the Note, a forceful player who matches up against top opposing forwards. Carlo Colaiacovo is one of the team’s better puck-moving defensemen.
Winger David Perron is the team’s best pure offensive forward. Gritty Barret Jackman is another match-up defensemen who is miserable to play against.
All these guys have been missed. But Oshie's demise trumps them all. His relentless playing style is an energy source the whole team draws from.
His injury, suffered late in an 8-1 implosion at Columbus, presents the most severe test possible for this team.
The Blues were rolling along as one of the NHL’s top teams. They enjoyed the best start in franchise history. They kept winning despite losing one player after another. Their success was largely due to Jaroslav Halak’s epic goaltending.
Had Oshie not snapped his ankle in a late-game tussle, this loss could have been nothing more than a speed bump. Coach Davis Payne could have made great use of this failure to refocus his team defensively.
The vivid video footage of the fiasco could have underscored the need to remain sound defensively. Everybody could have learned from the disaster.
The injury changed everything. Now the Blues are depleted as they hit a busy stretch of schedule.
Can they continue to play fast and tenacious hockey? Or will they feel as if their spirit has been sucked away?
With Perron already sidelined with post-concussion syndrome, the Blues couldn’t afford to take another big hit up front. This team had more depth on the blue line than at forward. It was vulnerable to this sort of development.
Brad Boyes must step up now. So must Andy McDonald. So must David Backes. All three veterans have scored at a high level in this league. To keep the Blues moving forward, they must regain their old form ASAP.
Alex Steen can handle a scoring line assignment. He is getting paid as such in his new deal and is up to the challenge.
Perhaps Vladimir Sobotka can do more as well. This under-the-radar addition offers a big upside. He has wheels, skill and grit. He plays a busy game. He doesn’t hit with Oshie’s leverage, but he seems primed to take a bigger role.
Beyond that, options seem scarce. Big forward Brad Winchester will be back from his leg contusion, but he doesn’t play at a high tempo.
This team doesn’t have a front-burner forward prospect down at Peoria. Nicholas Drazenovic could be a decent fourth-liner here. He has 25 goals in his last 71 AHL games, so he earned the shot. He scored in junior hockey and progressed as a pro.
Perhaps journeyman Graham Mink could help, given his minor league scoring success. But his resume at the NHL is less than thin. The same could be said for T.J. Hensick.
Big Phil McRae is early in the developmental process. Hit man Chris Porter can bang around on the fourth line, as can enforcer Ryan Reaves.
Perhaps the organization can reconsider its stance on former Blue Bill Guerin, now an unsigned free agent. While not at busy player in the twilight of his career, Guerin could still score 15 goals and give the team more presence up front.
All internal and external options merit consideration. Oshie’s injury is a major setback.
Will it become a turning point that sends the season in the wrong direction? It will take a strong collective effort from players, coaches and management to prevent that from happening.
