T.J. Oshie reveals the shocking reason he was traded by the Blues.

As a general rule players who play in the National Hockey League tend to make a concerted effort to avoid any potential drama, especially when it comes to dealing with the media. While that does hold true during their playing careers, players do tend to speak a lot more freely after they have retired and it seems that beloved NHL forward T.J. Oshie is no exception to that rule.

This week, Oshie appeared on the Spittin Chiclets podcast and it was there that he confirmed a shocking detail about the trade that sent him from St. Louis to the Washington Capitals. Oshie, who was dealt in a surprise move that sent Oshie to the Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer, Phoenix Copley and a third round pick, shed some light on why the shocking trade may have happened in the first place.

According to Oshie he had just discovered the benefits of Accelerated Recovery Performance or ARP, an electrotherapy tool that combines electrical currents with active range-of-motion exercises to promote muscle healing and reduce pain. Oshie claims he felt immediate relief after trying it out on the recommendations of a teammate.

"I actually got into it because I was so injured," admitted Oshie. "I used it before one game and my back pain disappeared."

The NHL and its teams can be very set in their ways and when Oshie informed the Blues that he would be easing back on team workouts with ARP providing him such a significant benefit, the Blues made the decision to move on.

"Maybe part of the reason I got traded from St. Louis," admitted Oshie. "I told them I wasn't doing the team's training anymore I was doing the ARP."

The other members of the podcast, former NHL players Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle were left stunned at the response. So much so in fact that Bissonnette asked Oshie if he was making a joke, to which Oshie replied that he was not.

"No I think it had something to do with it yeah," said Oshie without a hint of humor in his voice. "I think there's a chance yeah."

The Blues got very little in return for Oshie, who was in the prime of his career, with Brouwer only playing one season in St. Louis while Copley appeared in just 2 games for the Blues.

Oshie would of course go on to win a Stanley Cup several seasons later with the Capitals at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 season.