Metropolitan Notes: Protas, Frank, Kochetkov, Marchment
The Capitals will welcome back a pair of forwards tonight as they continue their push for a playoff spot against Buffalo. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports (Twitter links) that Aliaksei Protas and Ethen Frank are set to return to the lineup. They’re set to take the place of Ivan Miroshnichenko and David Kampf, who will be healthy scratches.
Protas had missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. While he’s not scoring at the same rate as last year when he had 30 goals and 36 assists in 76 games, the 25-year-old has still been one of Washington’s top scorers with 23 goals and 24 assists through 70 appearances. Frank, meanwhile, was waived by the Capitals in training camp but was recalled soon after and has been a regular since then, notching 12 goals and 12 assists in 64 games, earning a two-year extension for his efforts. He had been out for nearly two weeks with a lower-body injury.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov joined the team on the ice at the end of today’s morning skate, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). The netminder was ruled as likely out for the rest of the year after undergoing hip surgery in late December to fix a problem he had been battling through. At this point, it stands to reason that Kochetkov has a long way to go still before being cleared to return but getting back on the ice already suggests he has a chance to get back at some point in the postseason. The 26-year-old has played in just nine games this season with Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen shouldering the rest of the goaltending load.
- It appears that the Blue Jackets will get a key winger back tonight. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that Mason Marchment was a full participant in the morning skate on the top line, suggesting that he’ll return after missing Thursday’s game due to an undisclosed injury. The 30-year-old has been a key contributor since being acquired early in the year from Seattle, notching 14 goals and 13 assists in just 33 games since then. Officially, he’s listed as a game-time decision.
Injury Notes: Gudas, Protas, Sanderson
Anaheim’s Radko Gudas has returned from his lower body injury and will play tonight against Toronto, reported by David Alter of The Hockey News.
The defenseman got into two games after his suspension for a controversial knee-on-knee hit which ended superstar Auston Matthews’ season, before his own injury cost him Saturday’s action, a loss to the Oilers.
At 35 years old, Gudas’ ice time has dipped to 16:28 in 2025-26, the lowest of his career, but he’s surprisingly posting a 52.6% corsi for at five-on-five, unexpected for most comparable players, and his best as a Duck.
For somebody so often in the headlines, Gudas has just 45 penalty minutes in 54 games, nowhere near his 128 two seasons ago. That number will probably rise tonight though, as there will be some fireworks as he’ll face the ire of the Maple Leafs. Likely not yet 100%, the veteran is ready to answer the bell, which is commendable.
A third pairing defender who chips in on the penalty kill, the Czech native’s Ducks are essentially a lock for the postseason, where he’ll be eager to add to his 57 career playoff games prior to free agency this summer.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas didn’t skate today and will be missing time after colliding with former teammate Nic Dowd Saturday against Vegas, reported by Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Barring some sort of miracle, Washington will miss the playoffs for just the second time since 2014. After bursting onto the scene last year where he jumped from six to 30 goals, Protas was on course with a disappointing season for the Caps, so far potting 23 and a total of 47 points in 70 games in 2025-26. The power forward still has strong possession metrics, as his shooting percentage dipped from 21% to 15.6%. Just 25, the Belarus native is still a huge part of the Caps’ future. He should return at some point before the team completes their eight remaining regular season games. Until then, Connor McMichael gets a look on the top line, another promising young player who took a step back this year.
- Senators top defenseman Jake Sanderson skated today but is still not ready for tomorrow’s game against Florida, per Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen. The 23-year-old hasn’t played since March 7 after a shoulder injury, leaving Ottawa to fend without their #1 minute eater, who averages just under 25 minutes a night. Impressively they’ve offered a 7-3-1 record in that time, accumulating points and still fighting for Wild Card berth. Ottawa is currently two points below, but with one game fewer than their competition above. Considering the circumstances, it’s difficult to imagine he won’t be back patrolling the blue line by next Thursday as they’ll host Buffalo. Sanderson has been elite this year with 48 points in 62 games, as he continues to rise as one of the league’s best defensemen.
Morning Notes: McKenna, Protas, Gudas
Penn State University forward Gavin McKenna, a leading contender to go No. 1 overall at the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft, had his collegiate season ended yesterday at the hands of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While his time with the Nittany Lions this season may have concluded, it’s unlikely to be his final competitive game before the draft. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that “the most likely next step” for McKenna is to represent Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships.
Friedman said that, “barring something very surprising,” McKenna will end up playing for Canada at Worlds. There is some precedent for top NCAA prospects to play for Team Canada at Worlds just shortly before they’re drafted. 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone played two games for Canada at last year’s tournament, while 2023 No. 3 pick Adam Fantilli scored a highlight-reel goal and won a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the games. With McKenna looking to secure his spot at the top of NHL teams’ draft lists, the World Championships will be a chance for him to showcase his qualities in a high-stakes tournament against competition largely made up of pro players. That could give teams an opportunity to directly compare McKenna to a fellow contender for the No. 1 draft slot, Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. Stenberg has been competing at the pro level all season for Frölunda in the SHL.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas was knocked out of yesterday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber indicated Protas’ absence was due to a “big collision” with former teammate Nic Dowd, one that resulted in Protas being helped off the ice. The big 25-year-old forward is among Washington’s more promising offensive talents. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points. He has 23 goals and 47 points this season.
- Friedman also reported on Saturday Headlines that injured Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas is pushing to play the team’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Gudas is dealing with a lower-body injury and was sidelined for Anaheim’s last game. His timeline to return is still in question. What isn’t is Gudas’ desire to play against the Maple Leafs, per Friedman. Tomorrow’s contest will be Toronto’s first against the Ducks since Gudas’ highly controversial hit on Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews. Gudas was suspended five games for the play, returning to action March 22.
Evening Notes: Smith, Blue Jackets, Protas
Already having sent out Michael McCarron, another pending free agent Predator could be on the move soon. Forward Cole Smith took just a three second shift in tonight’s game against Columbus, at one point leaving for the locker room, but eventually returning to the bench, still not playing. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that Tampa Bay is showing interest.
The undrafted 30-year-old has become a mainstay on Nashville’s fourth line over the past four seasons, where he’s played a total 230 games with 62 points. At 6’3”, he is a relentless penalty killing winger likely to bring back later-round draft capital.
A high character player, the Minnesota native would be missed by Nashville, but cashing in on their depth pieces while keeping the bigger stars still gives them a shot in the playoffs, although they’ll have to overhaul their shorthanded unit.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Along with their opponents making news today, the Blue Jackets are missing two key pieces tonight as captain Boone Jenner and star Zach Werenski were inactive, as noted by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. Such news can raise eyebrows in early March, but it’s absolutely not for any suspicious reasons. Werenski is thought to be ill, while Jenner is day-to-day for maintenance, as confirmed by the team. Both could return as soon as Thursday, their Jackets set to host Florida as they continue their push toward the postseason. Until then, Kent Johnson, a scratch in recent days, re-enters the lineup.
- As another headline which could be misinterpreted, Capitals star Aliaksei Protas is absent tonight, but it’s due to personal reasons, as reported by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 25-year-old has missed three games this year, otherwise posting 42 points in 59 games, and reaching the 20 goal mark last week. His Capitals, just shy of Wild Card range, are back in action Saturday in Boston, likely to welcome Protas back then.
Capitals Activate Aliaksei Protas
The Capitals have activated winger Aliaksei Protas from injured reserve, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. He’ll be back in the lineup tonight against the Blackhawks. Winger Tom Wilson took his spot on IR to open a roster space, but he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as Sunday.
Protas missed Washington’s last three games, sustaining a lower-body injury against the Senators on New Year’s Day. Now that he’s back, he’ll be looking to pick up where he left off. He’s on a five-game point streak, during which he has four goals and five assists for nine points.
The 6’6″ Belarusian hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down following last season’s 30-goal, 66-point breakout. His 16-15–31 scoring line through 41 appearances this year makes for a slightly decreased overall point pace, but he’s scoring goals at the same rate. He’s also doing so in a more sustainable manner, compensating for a 3.1% dip in shooting percentage by averaging 16% more shots on goal per game than he did in 2024-25.
He continues to be one of the Caps’ most feared possession threats at even strength, too. His +21 rating is second on the team behind Jakob Chychrun, and his 55.8 CF% is inferior only to Wilson’s.
That’s a big boost for a Washington team that’s dropped three out of its last four, now out of the playoff picture for the time being. Their strong advanced numbers and +14 goal differential suggest they should get back into position sooner rather than later, though, especially with key bodies in Protas and Wilson returning in short order.
Wilson, who left the lineup one game after Protas did with a lower-body issue, could get his feet back on the ice in Nashville this weekend. The newly tabbed Olympian is enjoying a career year at age 31, leading the Caps in scoring with 22 goals and 42 points in 41 games. His 22.7% shooting rate is nearly 10 points above his career average and won’t hold up, but the added offense is greatly appreciated in addition to his trademark hard-nosed play, leading Washington with 110 hits.
Capitals Recall Brett Leason
The Capitals have recalled winger Brett Leason to begin his second stint in Washington, according to a team announcement.
Leason’s return to the NHL coincides with an injury to Aliaksei Protas, who has missed the last two with a lower-body injury and has now landed on injured reserve as the corresponding move for his recall. He practiced this morning without a non-contact designation, though, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports. The IR placement rules Protas out of tonight’s game against the Stars, but he should be ready to go when he’s eligible to come off IR before Friday against the Blackhawks.
Now 26, Leason began his NHL career with the Caps as a second-round pick in 2019. He made his NHL debut two years later, scoring six points in 36 games, before the Ducks claimed him off waivers in the first few days of the 2022-23 season. Leason spent the following three seasons in Anaheim, emerging as an NHL regular. He put up a 22-26–48 scoring line in 184 games in SoCal, serving as an occasional penalty-killing option, before being non-tendered last offseason.
Somewhat surprisingly, Leason struggled to find an NHL contract. He was on Russia’s radar after sitting unsigned for a few weeks, but was insistent on continuing his career stateside. He eventually landed a professional tryout offer from the Wild but was released with a week left in training camp. He then settled for a minor-league tryout for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers before finally landing a two-way offer from Washington at the end of October.
He immediately cleared waivers and has since been suiting up for AHL Hershey, where the 6’5″ righty has six goals and 14 points in 20 games. With Protas banged up and Tom Wilson dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of Monday’s game against the Ducks, Leason projects to make his season debut in fourth-line duties tonight.
Injury Notes: Rangers, Capitals, Monahan
Colin Stephenson of Newsday Sports reported that Rangers captain J.T. Miller remains in a red no-contact jersey in practice this morning, while fellow forward Noah Laba was also a limited participant, skating on his own.
Miller has been out since December 20 after sustaining a hit versus Philadelphia, injuring his right shoulder. Subsequently, he was forced to miss the Winter Classic. Initially listed as week-to-week, the 32-year-old’s scoring has taken a step backwards so far this season, with 22 points in 35 games and a -11. However, once healthy, the veteran will lean into his imposing style and leadership on Team USA in the upcoming Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Laba is also week-to-week with an upper-body injury, after taking a hard hit from Tom Wilson on New Year’s Eve. The rookie was an everyday player before the injury, with 12 points in 42 games on Head Coach Mike Sullivan’s third line. In his absence, 35-year-old depth forward Justin Dowling has slotted in from the AHL, getting to make his Rangers debut under the bright lights in Miami.
New York hosts Utah tomorrow night, and will do so without Miller or Laba. It is safe to assume neither will return for another week or so, but the club hopes their resounding Winter Classic win over Florida will kickstart a playoff push in the New Year.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network provided several injury updates on the Capitals: Tom Wilson is receiving further evaluation, and a better indication on a return time frame should come tomorrow. Aliaksei Protas is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Finally, Justin Sourdif and Jakob Chychrun are absent, but just due to maintenance. Wilson left last night’s game, seeming to suffer an awkward ankle injury. The team desperately hopes he won’t be out long, as the 31-year-old is possibly having his best season yet, in year 13. Wilson has been a force, leading the team with 42 points in 41 games, while still maintaining his usual wrecking ball physicality. Such output is a new level for the veteran who has a career high of 65 points, coming last season. Protas, on the other hand, missed last night’s game, his first absence of the year. The towering power forward has produced right on track with last season’s 30-goal, 66-point breakout, and thankfully, should return quickly. Washington is right back in action tomorrow night, taking on Anaheim at home, where Wilson and Protas’ presence will be watched closely.
- Ahead of today’s matinee action against Pittsburgh, Columbus will be missing Sean Monahan again, as reported by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. The center hasn’t played since December 28, with no official injury designation listed, making today his fourth straight game sidelined. Monahan, 31, had a strong campaign in his first as a Jacket last season, posting 57 points in 54 games. Things have not gone as to plan this year, with 19 in 37 contests, as Monahan has rotated at times with fellow veteran Charlie Coyle between second and third line center duties. As noted by Svoboda, the club hopes Monahan can return sometime this week. Currently at the bottom of a very deep Metropolitan Division, the Blue Jackets face an uphill battle to end their five year postseason drought.
Metro Notes: Wilson, Zegras, Protas
The Washington Capitals are dealing with a high-level injury concern from their contest against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. The Capitals announced that forward Tom Wilson is questionable to return after suffering a lower-body injury.
Wilson suffered the injury in the first period of tonight’s contest. Although the specifics of the injury are unknown at this time, Wilson appeared to awkwardly bend his right ankle after being on the receiving end of a reverse hit from Blackhawks’ defenseman Connor Murphy.
It would be a significant blow on a few fronts if Wilson is dealing with a longer-term ailment. He currently leads Washington in scoring with 22 goals and 42 points in 40 games, and was recently named to Team Canada for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics set to take place in February.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- In his recent mailbag, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic speculated what a potential extension might look like between the Philadelphia Flyers and Trevor Zegras. Without knowing details of hypothetical conversations, Kurz believes that a five-year, $45MM ($9MM AAV) sounds right for Zegras. A five-year extension for Zegras would buy out three years of his UFA-eligibility window, while a $9MM salary would make him the highest-paid forward on the team. Kurz also asserted that an extension between the Flyers and Zegras was inevitable.
- Wilson isn’t the only injured member of the Capitals’ forward core. Before tonight’s puck drops, Washington shared that Aliaksei Protas would miss the game due to a lower-body injury. Protas, 25, is the Capitals’ fifth-highest scorer with 16 goals and 31 points in 41 games with a +21 rating. He was relatively banged up in Washington’s recent loss to the Ottawa Senators, so he may only need a day to rest.
Snapshots: Rogers Place, Protas Brothers, Hemming
The city of Edmonton is one step closer to receiving a new fan park outside of Rogers Place, as the city council voted in favor of the proposed master agreement with Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG). This will clear the way for the proposed construction of the $250MM downtown event park, Village at Ice District land work, and demolition of the coliseum, per Keith Gerein of the Edmonton Journal.
The Edmonton Journal’s Zac Delaney offered additional insight, noting that the project aims to add a multi-season public event park to be constructed next to Rogers Place, while also handling the demolition of Northlands Coliseum, which has sat vacant for the last several years.
OEG said it is “excited” to have the master agreement finalized, per Delaney. OEG Sports and Entertainment executive vice-president Tim Shipton said the company is looking forward to receiving final approval in the fall to “get started on the transformational infrastructure projects.”
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Washington Capitals’ forward Aliaksei Protas is coming off of a breakout campaign where he posted 30 goals and 66 points. However, he is just as focused on the continued development of his brother, Ilya Protas, who is working his way through Washington’s system. Speaking with the Belarus-based newspaper Vitbichi, the older Protas said he believes his brother, who was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft (75th overall), is primed for a strong season after working hard this offseason. Ilya put up monster numbers last year with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, posting 50 goals and 124 points in 61 games. His 50 goals and 74 assists last season both finished third in the OHL, while his 124 points trailed only Michael Misa‘s 134. “He is already an adult and he himself understands perfectly well that in order to get into a stronger league, you need to work hard in the locker room and on the ice,” Aliaksei said.
- The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have signed forward Oscar Alexander Hemming to a league-standard deal, per a team release. Hemming, 17, spent last season at the U18 and U20 levels for Keikko-Espoo in the SM-sarja, Finland’s top junior league. In 31 games at the U18 level, the Finnish native posted 35 goals and 63 points. He added 10 points in 16 games at the U20 level, and an additional nine points in 13 playoff games. The 6’4″, 190-pound forward is the brother of Emil Hemming, who skated for the OHL’s Barrie Colts last season.
Capitals Notes: Ovechkin, Eller, Protas, Free Agents
It was locker clean-out day for the Capitals today after they were eliminated by Carolina earlier this week. At his end-of-season scrum (video link), winger Alex Ovechkin tried to brush aside any speculation about him not returning next season, indicating that he’s going to do his best to play. Ovechkin, of course, broke the all-time goal record this year which has led some to wonder if he might prefer to leave the NHL and perhaps return to finish his career at home. His comment about playing next season should tone that down.
However, with Ovechkin set to enter the final year of his contract in July, he’ll become eligible for a contract extension at that time. He noted that he hasn’t given any thought yet as to whether this would be his last one in the NHL or if he might be open to extending his stay. Considering that it’s quite unlikely that the 39-year-old would entertain NHL offers elsewhere next summer, this is a situation where it makes a lot of sense for both sides to wait and see how things are looking closer to this time a year from now before seriously assessing future plans.
More from Washington:
- Pending unrestricted free agent Lars Eller said in his scrum (video link) that he wants to keep playing next season, especially with his native Denmark qualifying for the upcoming Olympics. The 36-year-old was acquired from Pittsburgh early in the season and played in 80 games overall but managed just 10 goals and 12 assists; his 22 points were his lowest since his rookie year back in 2010-11. Eller might be best utilized as more of a fourth liner moving forward after playing on the third line for most of his career. Accordingly, he’s likely looking at a cut from the $2.45MM price tag he had the last two years.
- In his scrum earlier today (video link), center Aliaksei Protas indicated that he’ll have some testing done on his injured foot to see if any surgery will be required. The 24-year-old suffered the injury late in the regular season and missed the first four games of the Montreal series. This was a breakout year for Protas as he had 30 goals and 36 assists in 76 regular season games while chipping in with a goal and an assist in six playoff outings.
- Pending UFA wingers Anthony Beauvillier and Andrew Mangiapane haven’t had any extension talks yet with management, relays Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). Beauvillier had 25 points in 81 games during the regular season and notched six more in their ten playoff contests, turning into a solid trade deadline pickup overall. Meanwhile, Mangiapane saw his output drop to 14 goals and 14 assists in 81 games after notching at least 40 points in the previous three seasons.