Right now, it couldn’t get any better for the Washington Capitals! They have made a positive start to their Stanley Cup Playoffs campaign and look strong enough to make it to the very end of the tournament. They won the first two games against the Montreal Canadiens to take a 2-0 lead going into the third game of the series. However, before the start of the playoffs, there was one major concern in the Capitals’ dugout — Aliaksei Protas’s injury. But that seems to be resolved now.

Earlier this month, Protas suffered a skate cut on his left foot and was ruled out for the upcoming games. He missed the final six games of the regular season and two playoff games before showing any signs of a comeback. Ahead of Game 3 against the Canadiens, Protas was a full participant at the morning skate, and it was the first time that he had joined the group since his injury. Thus, his return looks likely for the Capitals in the third game of the tie, and he has also traveled with the team to Montreal.

A few days back, Protas shed the non-contact jersey ahead of the morning skate but did not join his teammates for practice. Amid his injury setback, the Capitals have constantly provided updates about his return. Even the team’s head coach, Spencer Carbery, was optimistic about Protas returning soon, saying, “Yeah, I think he absolutely — I would expect him to play, and we’ll just see when that is. Might be tonight, might be Game 2, we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, Protas has had a fantastic season despite missing games lately due to an injury. Even the Capitals’ head coach, Carbery had something to say about the same.

Aliaksei Protas earns praise from Spencer Carbery

Over the course of this season, Protas has scored 30 goals while providing 36 assists. Additionally, he has a plus/minus of 40, which is the third-best in the league. This clearly denotes why he is one of the most important players in the Capitals’ lineup. Moreover, during an interview, head coach Spencer Carbery was all praise for him.

He revealed, “He’s had a phenomenal year: a big reason for our success and earned himself a long-term contract from the organization.” Early last year, Protas signed a massive five-year contract that will keep him with the Capitals till the end of the 2028-29 season, when he will be 28 years old. Protas has a cap hit of $3,375,000 per season, bringing his contract value to $16,875,000 over five years.

At a time when Alex Ovechkin has grabbed most of the limelight after breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s NHL record, Protas is slowly and gradually rising up the ranks, becoming one of the key players in the Capitals’ lineup. Can the star winger help his team lift the Stanley Cup this year? Let us know your views in the comments below.