Protas registered an empty-net goal, a shorthanded assist and a plus-2 rating during Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.
Protas jump-started a two-on-one while shorthanded that Tom Wilson ended up one-timing past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Capitals the lead early in the second period. The hulking Belarusian has been heating up with four goals and nine points over his last eight games and continues to add to a breakout 2024-25 campaign.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Adds insurance tally
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Protas scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Flames.
Just after the Capitals killed a penalty, Protas got loose and buried a goal on the breakaway to produce the final score. He has three goals and three assists during his five-game point streak. The 24-year-old is up to 21 goals, 42 points, 87 shots and a plus-29 rating through 50 appearances in a breakout campaign. He should continue to see steady top-six minutes.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Grabs apple in loss
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Protas provided an assist in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Canucks.
Protas has two goals and three assists during his four-game point streak. The 24-year-old set up a Pierre-Luc Dubois tally to get the Capitals on the board in the third period. Protas continues to be an even-strength powerhouse this season, earning 40 of his 41 points at even with the lone outlier being a shorthanded goal. He's added 84 shots on net and a plus-27 rating through 49 appearances.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Garners helper
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Protas provided an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Oilers.
Protas reached the 20-assist mark when he set up a Tom Wilson goal in the first period that tied the game at 1-1. The 24-year-old Protas has looked good in a top-six role this season even without seeing much power-play time. He's up to 39 points, 81 shots on net, 22 blocked shots and a plus-26 rating over 47 appearances.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Earns two points in win
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Protas scored a goal, dished an assist, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Penguins.
Protas was involved in the Capitals' first two goals, setting up Jakob Chychrun on the opening tally in the first period before netting the game-winner himself in the second. This outing ended a four-game slump for Protas, who had earned 10 points over 10 contests prior to his dry spell. For the season, the forward has 19 goals, 19 assists, 80 shots on net and a plus-26 rating while seeing next to nothing in the way of power-play time. He's emerged as a reliable top-six forward in 2024-25 and could push for a 30-goal, 60-point campaign, though there's a chance the bottom falls out since he's shooting 23.8 percent.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Nets insurance marker
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Protas scored a goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.
Protas stretched the Capitals' lead to 6-4, ending a see-saw battle between the offenses in the matinee contest. The 23-year-old forward has six goals and an assist over his last eight outings while routinely seeing top-six minutes in that span. Overall, Protas is enjoying a breakout campaign with 17 goals, 16 assists, 70 shots on net and a plus-21 rating through 39 appearances. All but one of those points have come at even strength, with the exception being a shorthanded goal.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Scores twice Sunday
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Protas scored two goals on four shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Protas opened and closed the scoring Sunday. His first goal came midway through the first period, and he added an empty-netter in the final minute of the third to finish off the win. The 23-year-old has six goals and two assists over nine outings in December as he continues to maintain a top-six spot with little power-play time. Protas has matched his career high with 29 points, doing so in just 33 games this year compared to 78 appearances in 2023-24. He's added 63 shots on net and a plus-18 rating.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Back on scoresheet in victory
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Protas found the back of the net on three shots and went plus-2 in 18:00 of ice time in Friday's 3-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Protas opened the scoring late in the first period by deflecting an Andrew Mangiapane shot past Pyotr Kochetkov. The goal snapped a three-game point drought for Protas. The 23-year-old is just two points shy of matching his career high that he set last season. The left-shot winger ranks third on the Caps in points, and he's up to 12 goals, 27 points, six PIM, 59 shots on goal and a plus-16 rating through 32 appearances. Protas is shooting at a 20.3 percent clip, though, so he could see some regression in that area over the course of the campaign.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Stays warm with goal
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Protas scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 6-2 win over Utah.
Protas tallied midway through the third period for the final goal of the game. The 23-year-old has two goals and four assists over his last five contests, going plus-6 in that span. His lack of a power-play role and a 24.1 shooting percentage are concerning for sustainability, but Protas is at seven goals, 11 helpers, 29 shots on net and a plus-12 rating while seeing top-line usage at even strength. This looks to be his breakout campaign, so he should be rostered in most fantasy formats, at least until his scoring rate drops.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Two-point effort in OT loss
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Protas scored a goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
His tally late in the second period gave Washington a 3-1 lead, but the game was all Toronto down the stretch. Protas is capitalizing on his spot at even strength alongside Alex Ovechkin, and the 23-year-old has four multi-point performances in the last eight games, piling up five goals and 11 points during that time. However, that production has come without the benefit of consistent power-play shifts, and Protas' 23.1 percent shooting is unsustainable.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Tallies in Wednesday's win
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Protas scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Predators.
Protas bounced back from a scoreless outing Sunday versus the Hurricanes, tallying his fourth goal and eighth point in the last five games Wednesday. The 23-year-old is up to five tallies, seven helpers, 20 shots on net and a plus-8 rating through 12 contests. He saw just 11:40 of ice time Wednesday but remains on the top line at even strength.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Notches two points in blowout win
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Protas tallied a goal and an assist while logging 15:19 of ice time during Saturday's 7-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Protas has three consecutive multi-point outings and has managed 11 points in 10 games to start the season. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound winger has flourished since being promoted to the top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Protas could break out offensively in 2024-25 if he can maintain a top-six role on the scorching-hot Capitals.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Racks up three points in win
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Protas scored a goal on three shots, added two assists and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.
Protas helped out on both of Alex Ovechkin's first-period tallies, then added a goal of his own in the second that stood as the game-winner. This was Protas' first multi-point effort of the campaign. The 23-year-old is seeing top-line usage at even strength, though he's not yet routinely in the power-play mix. He has two goals, five assists, 16 shots on net and a plus-4 rating over eight contests. Protas doesn't play with an edge, but he's got potential as a scoring-only option for fantasy managers.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Shortie stands as winner
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Protas scored a shorthanded goal Saturday in a 2-0 win over the Bruins.
Protas was credited with the game-winner in Saturday's preseason finale. He won a faceoff in the left circle, and the puck ricocheted off the linesman's skate into the low slot, where he jumped on it and lifted a shot over Brandon Bussi's glove. Protas projects to be a third-line winger in Washington, which would limit his fantasy upside.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Notches assist in Game 1
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Protas garnered an assist in a 4-1 loss to the Rangers in Sunday's Game 1.
Protas was able to end a five-game point drought, during which he had 14 shots on net, five hits and two blocked shots. The 23-year-old has been slotting into a top-six role with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson but could be in danger of dropping further down the lineup if he continues to struggle offensively.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Set to return Sunday
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Protas (lower body) is expected to play Sunday versus the Jets, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
Protas is poised to return from a two-game absence, barring a last-minute setback. He has contributed five goals, 28 points and 90 shots on net in 65 contests this campaign while occupying roles up and down the lineup.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Unavailable Wednesday
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Protas (lower body) won't play Wednesday versus the Maple Leafs.
Protas battled a lower-body injury last week, but it's unclear if this is a related issue. T.J. Oshie (upper body) is also out Wednesday, allowing both Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Michael Sgarbossa to draw in. Protas has not recorded a point in his last four outings.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Unavailable versus Oilers
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Protas (lower body) won't play Wednesday versus the Oilers.
Protas has been limited to two assists over his last six outings. It's unclear when he sustained the injury. Tom Wilson (upper body) is expected to be back in the lineup, likely on the top line where Protas had been playing. The Capitals' next game is Thursday versus the Kraken.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Goal, assist Saturday
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Protas tallied a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 win over Montreal.
Protas picked up an assist on Anthony Mantha's opening goal in the first period before adding a tally in the third, pushing a rebound past Jake Allen for the eventual game-winner in a 4-3 victory. It's the first goal since Dec. 7 for Protas, who had just one point in 18 games prior to Saturday's outing. Overall, the 23-year-old forward has four goals and 21 points through 52 games this season.
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Capitals' Aliaksei Protas: Inks extension
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Protas signed a five-year, $16.875 million contract extension on Friday.
Protas was a pending restricted free agent heading into the summer, but in the midst of a career-best 18 points in 42 games, the Capitals wasted no time in locking the hulking winger to a long-term deal. The 23-year-old will need to continue to improve his offensive production in order to live up to his $3.375 million annual salary, but Protas owns an intriguing blend of size and skill and will be a key member of Washington's offense for years to come.