The Washington Capitals have signed forward Aliaksei Protas to a five-year contract extension, the club announced Friday evening.
Protas, 23, has three goals and 18 points in 42 games with the Capitals this season. His new contract with Washington carries an average annual value of $3.375 million.
The Capitals originally selected Protas in the third round (No. 91 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. The Vitebsk, Belarus product had been slated to become an RFA this coming summer.
“Aliaksei is a young and talented player, and we are excited to sign him to a long-term contract,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Friday. “He has taken great strides in his professional career, and we expect him to continue to improve and play a pivotal and impactful role on this team for many years to come.”
Protas first arrived in North America in 2018 to join the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders. The 6’6″ forward spent two seasons in Prince Albert before briefly returning to Belarus to play for Dinamo Minsk to begin the 2020-21 season.
Upon the resumption of play in the NHL and AHL at the start of the 2021 calendar year, Protas returned to North America with the Hershey Bears and collected seven points in 16 games with the team.
Protas continued on with the Bears in 2021–22 and ultimately split the season between the AHL and NHL, racking up nine points in his first 33 games with the Capitals. He added 15 more points in 58 games with Washington in 2022–23.
Through 133 career games over parts of three seasons with the Capitals, Protas has amassed 10 goals and 42 points. He has yet to appear in a Stanley Cup Playoff game during his career.
Protas is now one of just two Capitals players signed past the end of the 2027–28 season, with the other being All-Star forward Tom Wilson.
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