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Aliaksei Protas, Washington Capitals (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas Looks to Build on Breakout Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Frank Mills | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas is a star on the rise. Last season, he drew attention across the NHL with his 30-goal and 66-point performance, finishing third on the team in scoring while accumulating an impressive plus-40 rating.

The 6-foot-6 center benefitted from top-six minutes last season as well as from having the opportunity to play with Pierre-Luc Dubois, who had a career-defining comeback in 2024-25. He also benefitted from an unusually high shooting percentage, as did many of the Capitals’ top-six forwards, lighting the lamp on 21.1% of his shots, which was eighth highest among 370 full-time NHL forwards.

Most impressive, Protas’ explosion in offensive production came in a season when he established himself as one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He received two fourth-place votes and three fifth-place votes for the 2025 Selke Trophy. A 30-goal season for a player on a shutdown line who saw practically no time on the power play is quite a statement.

A Long Road to NHL Success

Protas was drafted in the third round, 91st overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals. A native of Belarus, he was drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) where he played two seasons for the Prince Albert Raiders. Protas was selected 26th overall by the Raiders in the 2018 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. In 2019-20, his second season in North America, he led all European players in the WHL with 31 goals and 80 points in 58 games.

The Capitals worked hard to manage the development path for their young forward, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down play in most of North America. For the 2020-21 season, Protas was loaned to Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he had an opportunity to play with and against older professional players before joining the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the remainder of the season.

In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Protas split time between Hershey and Washington, playing in 58 games for the Capitals in 2022-23. With the Capitals missing the playoffs in 2023, Protas returned to the Bears to help lead them to their 12th Calder Cup championship.

A Breakout Season

In 2023-24, his first full season in Washington, Protas scored six goals and 29 points for the Capitals while averaging a little under 14 minutes per night of ice time. In Jan. 2024, he signed a five-year contract extension worth about $3.4 million annually.

“It’s a big honor. I’m so proud,” said Protas. “This team, this organization believed in me. They give me chance to chase my dreams and to reach my dream to play in the NHL. They trust me, they support me, and that’s a really big one for me. Now, I just have to keep working even harder to prove that I deserve to wear this jersey every night.”

Coming into the 2024-25 season, expectations were high for Protas, with room in the top-six available and a new contract to live up to. Coaches and management expected improvement, but no one expected 30 goals. When asked if he thought he’d ever score that many in the NHL, he joked, “Maybe Xbox, like NHL 2025.”

A Strong Work Ethic

Protas’ coaches credit his hard work on and off the ice for his success. He’s worked hard to improve his skating and shooting and seems to never miss an optional skate. Drafted at a skinny 179 pounds, he has added a significant amount of weight and muscle to his frame, with the league currently listing him at 250 pounds.

“This is a guy that works his butt off every day, has come through the American Hockey League as a third round pick,” Capitals’ head coach Spencer Carbery said. “Just does everything right. Works hard, wants to get better, coachable, all the above.”

Protas has worked with Capitals’ skating coach Wendy Marco for several years, and his prioritization of skating in the offseason has clearly paid off. In the 2024-25 season, he ranked in the 92nd percentile among all NHL skaters with a max skating speed of 23.18 mph. His speed bursts over 20 mph put him in the 87th percentile.

“I’m telling you, he’s just scratching the surface on his career in this league,” Carbery said. “He’s such a horse, he’s such a big guy that skates so well, that’s now going to play on the power play this year. He’s got a bright, bright future.”

Time on the power play has eluded Protas for most of his time with the Capitals, making his recent offensive production all the more impressive. He’s been leaned on heavily the last two seasons as a consistent presence on the penalty kill and led the team with three shorthanded goals last season. Early indicators suggest he will see more time on the Capitals’ second power play unit in 2025-26.

A Hot Start in 2025-26

Protas has picked up where he left off at the start of the 2025-26 season, scoring four goals and eight points in his first seven games. All of his goals have come at even strength and he’s shooting at 22.2%, which is even higher than last season’s torrid rate.

“[He’s] made in a laboratory,” Capitals’ rookie Ryan Leonard said. “It’s crazy. We all say he’s the best player in the league, so it’s special. He’s a special player.”

Protas has been a big part of the Capitals’ early-season success, with CBS Sports having them moving up from 11th to sixth in their NHL Power Rankings.

Austin Nivision of CBS remarked, “Aliaksei Protas seems determined to build upon his 66-point showing last season with eight points in his first seven games. A 6-foot-6 and 250-pound tank, Protas is a treat to watch when he gets going. I recommend queuing up some Capitals games soon.”