Aliaksei Protas will sit out the Washington Capitals’ matchup with the Utah Mammoth due to personal reasons. The 25-year-old winger, a regular contributor in the Capitals’ top six, has posted 42 points through 59 games this season (20 goals, 22 assists) and had been one of the club’s bright spots after the Olympic break, logging four points across his last three appearances (1 goal, 3 assists).
Capitals coach and staff confirmed Protas’s absence for Wednesday’s game, marking the fourth missed game of the season for him. During the broadcast, Monumental Sports Network’s Joe Beninati shared that Protas is on baby watch as he anticipates the arrival of his second child.
With Protas unavailable, Hendrix Lapierre will return to center the fourth line. Connor McMichael and Nic Dowd shift up a line, and Justin Sourdif will play on Dowd’s wing. The lineup for the Capitals that night consisted of Ovechkin, Strome, Beauvillier, McMichael, Dubois, Wilson, Sourdif, Dowd, Leonard, Duhaime, Lapierre, Frank, Fehervary, Sandin, Chychrun, Roy, McIlrath, TVR, Thompson, and Lindgren.
In addition to Protas’s absence, defenseman John Carlson missed his fourth consecutive game with a lower-body injury, leaving another key defensive figure out of the lineup.
Overall, the Capitals faced a lineup shake-up as they navigated injuries and personal matters, aiming to maintain production and cohesion without two frequent contributors."
