After a strong camp, Protas gets a shot on the 2nd line originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Capitals are a veteran-laden team, second oldest in the NHL heading into the 2022-23 season. Among the 20 players expected to be active for their opener against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, only five will be under the age of 30.
Yet the youngest of the group, 22-year-old Aliaksei Protas, will be a prominent member of the lineup. Protas spent this week skating alongside center Dylan Strome and winger Anthony Mantha on the Capitals’ second line in practice, a spot he earned with a strong showing in both training camp and the preseason.
“At the end of the day, it’s training camp and you come in here and hope people play a game that catches your eye and does it consistently,” head coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday. “For every time that we saw him on the ice he was a player we noticed: his size, his speed, his compete on the puck, his ability to generate, his defense. His training camp was excellent.”
Protas, a natural center, told coaches and the media early in camp he had no preference as to what position he played. He was the only player on the Capitals to appear in all six exhibition games, giving the coaching staff an extended look to see if his offseason improvements warranted a roster spot.
As a player who didn’t need to pass through waivers in order to be sent to the AHL, Protas needed to show out to earn a spot. He did exactly that, relegating top prospect Connor McMichael to a healthy scratch for the first game of the season.
“It’s an unreal feeling,” Protas said of making the team. “I’ve been working my whole life to get that chance. Now, my job is to prove the coaches made the right choice to let me play here so I’m so happy.”
He will immediately be tested on the Capitals’ second line. Washington has made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and 14 of the last 15 and Protas’s line will be relied on heavily to help it achieve that success once again, especially with longtime stars Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson on the shelf to begin the season.
Protas (6-foot-6), Mantha (6-foot-5) and Strome (6-foot-3) are among the tallest players on the team as well as the youngest, both of which Strome believes can play into their identity as a unit.
“I don’t think any of us are the most physical guys, but maybe more a ‘possession line,’ I would say,” Strome said. “I think we can hold the puck really well and make some plays so I think that’s gonna be our biggest strength is just holding the puck and creating good some o-zone time for all of us.”
For Protas, the opportunity will be there for a breakout season. After the camp he had, his veteran teammates are already giving their endorsements for him receiving that chance.
“I think he’s mature enough to have that kind of role,” Alex Ovechkin said at morning skate Wednesday. “He worked hard all summer, good for him. He’s getting a huge opportunity to be in the team and that’s good.”
