Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas to ‘miss a little bit of time’ with upper-body injury
Washington Capitals’ forward Aliaksei Protas is “going to miss a little bit of time,” head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters Monday, and that he won’t play Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Aliaksei Protas is “going to miss a little bit of time.” Won’t play Tuesday.
Protas suffered an injury Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a hit from Nic Dowd. Protas required help getting off the ice and did not return to the game.
Scary moment as former Capital Nic Dowd collided head-first with Aliaksei Protas. Dowd was cut open above his eye and Protas needed assistance getting off the ice 🤕
Protas has 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 70 games this season. He’s fourth on the team in goals and fifth in points. Through five NHL seasons, the 25-year-old forward has 66 goals and 100 assists for 166 points in 315 career regular-season games.
He also has one goal and three assists for four points in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The 6-foot-6 center also played for the AHL’s Hershey Bears, scoring 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 67 games. He was a part of the Bears’ 2023 Calder Cup championship squad, scoring five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 20 playoff games.
In one KHL season with Minsk Dynamo, he recorded 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 58 games.
Taken in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals, Protas spent two seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Prince Albert Raiders. In his first season, he helped the club win a WHL Championship, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 23 playoff games. The next season, he scored 31 goals and 49 assists for 80 points in 58 regular-season games.
The Capitals are 37-28-9 with 83 points in 74 games this season, ranking sixth in the Metropolitan Division and five points back of a Wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.