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Aliaksei Protas

Aliaksei Protas Reassigned To AHL

at CDT | by 2 Comments

After an overtime win last night, the Washington Capitals are now on break for the next ten days. Aliaksei Protas, however, won’t get quite as much rest. The young forward has been reassigned to the minor leagues, where the Hershey Bears play three games in the next few days.

Protas, 22, has played 42 games for the Capitals this season but only one in the last few weeks as the team started to get back some veteran forwards. With ten points in those games he has surpassed his total from last season but hasn’t taken quite the step some expected after a good rookie showing.

The massive, 6’6″ forward still doesn’t use his frame as effectively as he could and fails to get on the inside of the defense very often. There’s a belief that big power forwards take a little longer to develop, though, so any experience that Protas can get is valuable.

In the minor leagues this season, Protas has three points in five games. He’ll get a chance to score his first AHL goal of the year while the rest of the Capitals enjoy some rest and relaxation.

Washington Capitals Recall Aliaksei Protas

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After sending him down earlier this month, Aliaksei Protas has been recalled once again by the Washington Capitals. This move follows the announcement that Nic Dowd will miss some time with a lower-body injury.

Protas, 22, played five games with the Hershey Bears during his demotion, recording three assists in the process. Previously, he had played 41 games with the Capitals, scoring three goals and ten points. The 6’6″ forward saw less average ice time than a year ago, and before his send-down was getting just a handful of shifts.

Selected 91st overall in 2019, Protas hasn’t quite developed the offensive touch that the team had hoped for but is a reasonably reliable option to stick in the bottom six. He still doesn’t use his massive frame all that effectively (or at least all that aggressively), but has generated positive possession results so far, even in tough deployments.

Whether he gets into the lineup right away remains to be seen, as the Capitals head out on the road for three games. They’ll take on the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night before having a pair of tough matchups in Vegas and Colorado to follow.

Nicklas Backstrom Will Make Season Debut On Sunday

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A few months ago, there were questions as to whether Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom would be able to play ever again, let alone this season.  However, his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery has gone well and the veteran is ready to suit up as the team announced (Twitter link) that he will make his season debut tomorrow against Columbus.

Backstrom will become only the second NHL player to play after undergoing this procedure.  Long-time blueliner Ed Jovanovski was the other as he suited up in 37 games with Florida back in the 2013-14 season before the team bought him out.

The 35-year-old’s return will undoubtedly be a big boost to Washington’s lineup.  Even while playing through the injury last season, he had 31 points in 47 games while before that, he had been in the top three in scoring for the Capitals for nine straight years.  While there will certainly be an adjustment period as he plays his way back into game conditioning, Backstrom should be able to deepen what has already been a pretty strong attack this season as the Caps enter play today with the fourth-most goals in the NHL.

Backstrom, who carries a $9.5MM AAV, is currently on LTIR which means that the Capitals will need to get cap-compliant in order to activate him.  They’ve already made the first move as Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that defenseman John Carlson has been transferred to LTIR.  Carlson, who will miss a few months after taking a shot to the face last month, carries an $8MM AAV which will cover most of what they’ll need to clear to activate Backstrom.

The Capitals needed to free up a roster spot as well in order to welcome Backstrom back onto the roster.  It will be sophomore center Aliaksei Protas that cedes his spot as the team announced that he has been sent down.  Protas was a healthy scratch last night against Nashville and was the lone waiver-exempt player on the roster so he was the logical choice.  The 22-year-old has largely been a regular this season having played in 41 games (while recording 10 points) but subbing in Backstrom for him will certainly improve Washington’s chances of holding down a playoff spot in the tight Metropolitan Division.

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