Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Running cold

Protas has no points and a minus-5 rating over his last seven games.

Protas has been shuffled down to the third line alongside Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson in an attempt to rekindle his offensive game. The return of Max Pacioretty and Sonny Milano (upper body) could hamper the 23-year-old Protas' efforts to lock down a top-six role in the final half of the 2022-23 season despite establishing a career high of 18 points in the first 40 games. The hulking forward could become a solid fantasy asset in the future, but Protas will need to become a more consistent offensive producer before achieving that title.