Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas week-to-week with lower-body injury

The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals will be without Aliaksei Protas on a week-to-week basis after the forward suffered a lower-body injury, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed Sunday per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.

Through 76 appearances with the Capitals this season, the 24-year-old Belarusian native has reached career highs in all major offensive categories counting 30 goals, 36 assists, and 66 points. In all, Protas is one of three Capitals skaters to have reached the 30-goal plateau this season and one of five with 60 points or better.

Originally chosen by Washington in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Protas has put up 43 goals and 76 assists for 119 points through part of four seasons and 245 total appearances with the Capitals. In early 2024, the Capitals signed Protas to a five-year extension that carries a $3.375-million annual average value, per PuckPedia.

In all, Protas is the Capitals’ second significant player to hit the sidelines in recent days as on Friday the Capitals confirmed that starting goaltender Logan Thompson will ‘miss a little bit of time’ due to an upper-body ailment. In his first season in the Capitals’ crease, Thompson has made 43 appearances in which he has put together a 31-6-6 showing coupled with a .910 save percentage, 2.49 goals-against average, and two shutouts.

For the Capitals, entering Sunday’s showdown against the Metropolitan Division rival New York Islanders, the club holds a 49-18-9 record and 107 points. In March, the Capitals became the first team to clinch their a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the 10th time in the past 11 seasons in which the club will compete in the postseason. That stretch included the Capitals’ first-ever Stanley Cup championship following a five-game takedown of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018.