Capitals place Aliaksei Protas on injured reserve

The Washington Capitals announced on Wednesday morning that they have placed forward Aliaksei Protas on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 1.

While Protas has not played since New Year’s Day, there’s reason to believe that his absence will not be long term. Sammi Silber of The Hockey News shared that Protas was on the ice for Washington’s morning skate on Wednesday in a regular jersey.

Protas enjoyed a massive breakout campaign a season ago when he produced 30 goals and 36 assists in 76 games as he shattered his career highs and helped the Capitals finish atop the Eastern Conference in the regular season. In the postseason, he put up just two points in six appearances as he dealt with injury while the Caps defeated Montreal in the first round before falling to Carolina in the second.

So far this year, he’s proved that to be no fluke, as he has 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 41 games played. Prior to his injury, Protas was riding a five-game point streak.

In a corresponding move, the Capitals also announced that they have recalled forward Brett Leason from their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears. Leason has 14 points in 20 games this season in Hershey, and between Washington and Anaheim, he has 220 games of experience at the NHL level.

While the Capitals have taken a step back from their success in the 2024-25 season, they continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. Washington currently occupies the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-15-6, though they would be just outside the playoff field by points percentage currently.

Without Protas and fellow star forward Tom Wilson, the Capitals have a chance to improve their playoff positioning on Wednesday night when they welcome the Dallas Stars into town. They’ll then hit the road to take on Chicago and Nashville on Friday and Sunday to wrap up their slate for the week.