Player Profile: Aliaksei Protas

Since then, Aliaksei Protas has been a regular figure on the Washington Capitals’ gameday lineups and has more than proven himself offensively, especially throughout the current 2023-2024 season, as he has begun playing full-time at the NHL level. In 42 games this season, he has recorded 18 points (3g, 15a). Seventeen of those points have come at even strength, which makes him the lead in even-strength points among the team. He is skating on average 13:02 of ice time per game– a career-high. Protas was a playmaker with the Hershey Bears as well, too, especially during the 2022-2023 season’s Calder Cup run. Throughout the playoffs, the forward tallied 13 points (5g, 8a) and, at one point, was averaging a point per game.

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery also coached Protas during their shared time at the AHL level, so they have gotten to know each other very well. Carbery spoke highly of Protas after the contract extension was signed, saying, “Protas is a prime example of that and probably an example I’ll use for the rest of my life. His game has come such a long way from when he first came over to North America. Even just in the small sample size, I remember when he came to play his first game at Hershey and to see where his game is now at the NHL Level. Just been a phenomenal maturation, learning, taking coaching, and improving in the areas that he needed to improve in. Now, he’s a bonafide NHL player.”

While he has made impressive strides in his gameplay, Protas has a long way to go to reach his full potential. Whereas he had 9 points in 12 games in December, Aliaksei Protas has spent all of January (so far) in a point drought. The forward admits this himself and shows disappointment that only 3 of his points so far this season have come from goals. He says, “I feel like I can get better in terms of compete level, getting stronger. For sure, as every forward, I want to score goals. You want to try and find the ways to score way more. I’m not really happy with that right now. I think I can get way better.” Protas has been found on a line regularly alongside Connor McMichael and Anthony Mantha, both up-and-coming Capitals forwards with heavy potential.

Overall, Aliaksei Protas is a strong addition to the soft rebuild that the Washington Capitals seem to be undergoing and further goes to show that the future is bright in the nation’s capital.