Oshie excited, says Capitals are 'ready to win'

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Washington Capitals hope the additions of forwards T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams will help deliver what has been an elusive championship.

Oshie, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues on July 2 in a trade for forward Troy Brouwer, goalie Pheonix Copley and a third-round draft pick, met with the Washington media on Saturday and said he's excited for the challenge.

"This team's ready to win, it looks like," Oshie said. "I'm happy to be an addition to that and be a piece of the puzzle."

During his first press conference in Washington, Oshie struggled to find words to describe his excitement. After meeting coach Barry Trotz and his staff Friday, Oshie was left speechless.

"It was really hard to talk yesterday," Oshie said. "I was just so excited after talking to the coaches that I just wanted to start playing right away. It was just their excitement for the season to start and the excitement for our team. You can just tell that they're fired up and they got me fired up, even though we're a couple months away."

Oshie, who will wear No., 77, will have plenty of things to keep him occupied until training camp opens in September. He's getting married in a few weeks, he has to find a place to live in Washington, and must finalize the construction of a house he and his fiancée, Lauren, are building near St. Paul, Minn.

Williams was similarly excited about having Oshie as a teammate when he was introduce in Washington on Friday.

"He's a little pit bull," Williams said. "He hits like a truck but he can stick-handle through a phone booth. [He's] a dynamic player offensively, but also a guy that plays hard as well."

The Capitals open the 2015-16 season Oct. 10 against the New Jersey Devils at Verizon Center.

"It's going to be a new chapter," Oshie said. "An exciting new chapter. I'm hoping to step up and be a difference-maker right away."