The Washington Capitals had to make a few hard decisions on Friday morning. In particular, sending top forward prospects Andrew Cristall and Ilya Protas down to Hershey in their latest batch of training camp roster cuts.
The two talented under-20 forwards impressed head coach Spencer Carbery and the rest of the Capitals’ top brass, outlasting more veteran and more experienced talents on the club’s preseason roster. Carbery spoke shortly after the cuts were announced and explained the rationale behind the decision. He also explained what the two prospects could potentially gain from their first professional experience in Hershey.
“Oh, it’ll be huge – [Cristall] and Little Pro,” Carbery said. “You never want to count anybody out, but the path for them to make the Opening Night roster was a difficult one. Because at that age and experience level, to come in and beat out the likes of Ethan Frank, Miroshnichenko – these guys have been at it for a long time. So it was a tall, tall ask. And I thought both guys had really good camps, but it’s a process to develop and play at this level.
“It’s the best league in the world for a reason, and it is not easy. I don’t care if you’re drafted in the first round, top 10 pick, second round, or had the most successful junior or college season. It’s a hard league. So, some time in the American League for both those guys, I think, will be a huge benefit for their long-term development, for their careers, and their success one day in the NHL.”
Carbery would be one of the first to know how a demotion could only help young talent, as, outside of being a former player himself, he has coached at almost every level imaginable at or near the top of the hockey development tree. He boasts tenures in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit, the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays, and the AHL with the Bears and Providence Bruins.
Cristall heads to Hershey after scoring two goals in four preseason games this fall, adding to the two goals he scored during last year’s exhibition slate. Protas also played in four games over the past two weeks, including one with his older brother Aliaksei at Giant Center, recording two points (1g, 1a) of his own.
Carbery believes the 2025-26 Capitals, as an organization, are the deepest he has seen since he took over as head coach in 2023, pointing to the crowded roster as another reason why Cristall and Protas struggled to stick around until the final cuts.
“I think that’s a really fair statement to where we’ve come as an organization,” Carbery said. “Draft, development, trades, free agency. I think I was saying it the other day, if you look at our 50 whatever NHL contracts, but even AHL contracts, we’re a deep, deep group of players at all three levels. I don’t remember, like Matty Phillips made it my first year, and there was some competition, but this year just feels different.
“It feels like there’s like five or six guys that are right there that you’re splitting hairs when you’re making decisions, and they’re not easy. I think that speaks to the depth inside of our organization and how many NHL-quality players we have that are right there that might not start the year in the NHL.”
Cristall and Protas were part of a group of six total cuts, joining Ryan Chesley, Leon Muggli, and Eriks Mateiko as players loaned directly to the Bears. The young prospects were cut alongside Sheldon Rempal, 30, an offseason addition from the KHL who also really impressed Carbery.
“I’ll give you a prime example: Rempal, who we put on waivers today,” Carbery said. “Like, there’s a guy in camp I’ve never really seen him play other than film. He was tremendous in training camp. I thought he was outstanding in the practices, both exhibition games. We had him slated to play one exhibition game. We changed that plan because of the way that he played in Columbus. Seven shots. He was all around the puck, and I thought he was good again last night as well.
“So there’s a really good example of someone that’s going down to play, if he clears waivers, in the American Hockey League. He has every argument to say that he could play in the NHL tomorrow.”
The Capitals will know by 2 pm on Saturday if they were able to sneak Rempal down to Hershey or not. If he does make it there, he’ll join a seemingly reloaded Bears team under new head coach Derek King, now featuring 14 players who are recent Capitals draft picks.
Carbery and the rest of Caps management need to make a further four cuts by 5 pm on Monday, October 6, which could result in even more talent being added to the Bears’ roster. The Capitals open their regular season on October 8, while the Bears begin their campaign on October 11.
