Protas (lower body) practiced in a regular jersey Thursday and could return to the lineup as early as Friday in Chicago, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Protas has missed the last three games, after getting hurt Jan. 1 versus Ottawa. Protas was hot prior to his injury, tallying four goals and adding five assists in a five-game scoring streak. Overall, the 25-year-old has 16 goals and 31 points over 41 appearances this season.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Placed on injured reserve
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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.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Not playing Monday
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Protas (lower body) isn't in the lineup for Monday's home matchup versus Anaheim, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.
Protas will miss his second straight contest Monday after being deemed a game-time call earlier in the day. Tom Wilson (lower body) also isn't available against the Ducks, so the Capitals are forced to roll with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Protas' next chance to suit up will be at home Wednesday versus Dallas.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Scores again Thursday
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Protas scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Senators.
Protas took a bit of a beating Thursday, briefly leaving the game after going feet-first into the board in the first period. He also took a hack around the ankle later in the contest, but he was able to finish it despite the physical toll limiting him to 14:55 of ice time. Protas has four goals and five assists during a five-game point streak, and he's up to 16 goals, 31 points, 89 shots on net and a plus-21 rating over 41 appearances at the halfway mark of the Capitals' season.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Picks up two more points
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Protas scored a goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Rangers.
Protas closed out 2025 with three multi-point efforts over his last four games. He has five goals and five assists over his last seven outings and has gotten back to the high-quality even-strength play that made him a breakout player in 2024-25. He's at 15 goals, 30 points, 86 shots on net and a plus-22 rating across 40 appearances through Wednesday's action.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Three points in New Jersey
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Protas scored a goal on five shots on net and added two assists, a hit and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Devils.
All three points came in regulation, as Protas continues to build momentum heading into the new year. The 24-year-old has found the back of the net in four of the last five games, and through 12 contests in December he's delivered seven goals and 11 points.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Tips in game-winner
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Protas scored a goal in Thursday's 4-0 win over Toronto.
Protas put the Caps up 1-0 in the first period with a tip-in. It was his 11th goal of the season, and it stood as the game-winner. The big man has 21 points and a remarkable plus-22 rating in 34 games. Protas is on a 50-point pace, but a few multi-point outings could get him back closer to last season's 66 points. His last multi-point effort came almost two months ago when he put up two helpers against Seattle on Oct. 21.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Tallies in shootout loss
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Protas scored a goal, blocked three shots and added two PIM in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks.
Protas has three goals and two assists during his five-game point streak. The 24-year-old forward continues to shine in a middle-six role for the Capitals -- he's gotten on the scoresheet in nine of his last 11 outings. For the year, he's at nine goals, 19 points, a plus-22 rating, 62 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and 13 hits through 29 appearances.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Tallies in Wednesday's win
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Protas scored a goal on three shots, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Oilers.
Protas has a goal and an assist over his last two games after being limited to one tally over his previous 10 outings. It's been tough sledding for the 24-year-old this year, who has been unable to replicate his 21.1 shooting percentage from the 2024-25 regular season. Through 20 contests, Protas has six goals, six assists, 43 shots on net, 16 blocked shots, 10 hits and a plus-10 rating while continuing to see steady top-six minutes.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Two helpers against Seattle
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Protas picked up two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.
The 24-year-old continues an impressive start to the season by having a hand in Ryan Leonard's second-period tally and Tom Wilson's empty-netter late in the third. Protas has racked up four goals and eight points through the Capitals' first seven games as he looks to prove his 2024-25 breakout -- 30 goals and 66 points in 76 regular-season contests -- was no fluke.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Lights lamp again Friday
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Protas scored a goal on three shots in Friday's 5-1 win over the Wild.
Protas continues to roll for the Capitals while seeing time in all situations. He's up to four goals, six points, 16 shots on net and a plus-5 rating over five appearances, including a goal in two straight games. The 24-year-old was one of the team's top even-strength forwards last year, and that kind of quality play doesn't disappear. Expect another strong year from Protas, though probably with a slightly lower shooting percentage than last season's 21.1 percent mark.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Leads team in goals and scoring
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Protas scored a goal Tuesday in a 3-2 OT win over Tampa Bay.
It came late in the second. Connor McMichael chased and retrieved a dump-in, and as he skated behind the Bolts' net, he passed behind him to Protas, who wired a one-timer into the open left side of the net from low in the left circle. Protas leads the Caps in goals (three), and he's tied with Tom Wilson for the most points (five; four games). The 24-year-old Protas also has 13 shots in that span. Last season was clearly not an anomaly.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Cleared for contact
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Protas (foot) was a full participant in Saturday's practice and could be ready to play in Game 4 against Montreal on Sunday, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reports.
After being cut by a skate, Protas has been absent for the Capitals' last nine games, including the first three contests of Washington's first-round playoff series versus the Canadiens. The 24-year-old forward would provide an offensive boost if he receives the green light to return to the lineup. Protas broke out in 2024-25 with 30 goals and 66 points in 76 regular-season appearances.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Game-time decision
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Protas (foot) was deemed a possibility to play versus the Canadiens in Game 3 on Friday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Protas has been shelved for the Caps' last eight contests after suffering a laceration on the top of his foot. Even if the 24-year-old natural center is given the all-clear, he is far from a lock to suit up in Game 3 and could serve as a healthy scratch during the postseason.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Traveling with team
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Protas (foot) will join the Capitals on the road for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reports.
Protas' return is far from guaranteed -- he may just be traveling in order to skate with the team -- but it's certainly a step in the right direction. The 24-year-old center has missed the Caps' last eight contests due to his foot injury. Prior to getting hurt, the Belarusian was rolling offensively with 16 points in his last 16 outings, including a pair of shorthanded goals.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Not in Game 2 lineup
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Protas (foot) won't play Wednesday versus the Canadiens, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Protas was not officially ruled out prior to warmups, but he never seemed to have much of a chance to play Wednesday. He's still a possibility later in the first round, so keep an eye on his status once the series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday.
Protas (foot) is expected to be a game-time decision for Game 2 versus Montreal on Wednesday, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Protas hasn't been in the lineup since April 4. He finished the 2024-25 regular season with 30 goals and 66 points across 76 appearances. If Protas is available against the Canadiens, then he might play on the top unit alongside Alex Ovechkin, which would result in Anthony Beauvillier seeing a reduced role.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Can't finish contest
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Protas was unable to return to Friday's game versus the Blackhawks after suffering an apparent lower-body injury, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.
Protas appeared to be favoring his left leg as he exited the ice in the third period. There was no update on his status after the contest, leaving him day-to-day ahead of Sunday's game versus the Islanders. If Protas misses time, Connor McMichael would likely get back in the top six, while Anthony Beauvillier or Ethen Frank could reenter the lineup.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Earns first career hat trick
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Protas scored three goals on six shots and went plus-4 in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Ducks.
Protas tied the game at 2-2 late in the first period and added a pair of tallies in the third, including the empty-netter, to complete his first career hat trick. The 24-year-old has five goals and three assists over six games in March as he continues a stellar campaign. For the season, Protas is at 28 goals, 58 points, 125 shots on net and a league-leading plus-39 rating. All but five of his points have come at even strength -- he's earned four shorthanded points and one power-play point this season.
Protas notched two goals, including one shorthanded, and an assist in Friday's 5-2 win over the Red Wings. He also posted a plus-3 rating, three shots on goal and a hit.
Protas recorded three points in a single game for the third time in 2024-25. He has accomplished the feat twice in seven outings since the regular season resumed following the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Protas has posted eight points (three goals, five assists) in eight games since the resumption of the league. He has exploded offensively this campaign, producing 25 goals and 29 helpers through 63 appearances.
