Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Placed on injured reserve

Protas (lower body) was placed on injured reserve by the Capitals on Wednesday, retroactive to Jan. 1.

Protas has already missed Washington's last two games due to his lower-body injury, so his placement on injured reserve shouldn't have a significant impact on his return timetable. He'll be unavailable for at least Wednesday's matchup against Dallas. However, he was on the ice for the Capitals' morning skate, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, indicating that he could return to game action sooner rather than later. Washington recalled Brett Leason from AHL Hershey in a corresponding move to provide additional depth in Protas' absence.