The Washington Capitals were apparently one of the NHL teams interested in signing the KHL’s top free agent, Vitaly Pinchuk, this offseason.
Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas recently wrote in a blog post for BetNews that the team asked for his opinion on his Belarusian countryman. Pinchuk ended up signing a one-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators on April 27.
“It’s cool that another Belarusian could be joining the NHL next season,” Protas wrote, as translated via Google Translate. “I wouldn’t say Vitaly and I know each other very well, but we’ve certainly heard a lot about each other. We’re represented by the same agency. When I found out he’d signed with Nashville, I immediately wrote to him and congratulated him. He’s done a great job; he’s made a very important step in his career.
“By the way, Washington asked me about Vitaly, and there was interest. Some of our scouts really liked him. And, judging by what I read in the press, he had a lot of options for continuing his career in the NHL.”
Pinchuk, 24, played his sixth season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk this year, skating on a line with former Hershey Bears forwards Sam Anas and Alex Limoges. In 65 games, Pinchuk recorded 66 points (31g, 35a), ranking third in the league in goals and tied for sixth in the league in overall scoring.
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound center was one of only 10 KHL skaters to produce at a point-per-game rate. Pinchuk added seven points (2g, 5a) in eight playoff games, which led Dinamo.
“At some point, Washington stopped discussing the matter,” Protas said. “I can guess why. I think the club already knew Vitaly was leaning toward another organization. And we dropped out of the race.
“It seems Pinchuk chose Nashville because he thought he had a better chance of making the top six there than anywhere else. At least for now, Nashville seems like a good option. I’m sure Vitaly will be given a chance to prove himself there. After that, everything depends on him. I wish him a productive summer and a quick establishment in the NHL. It’s all in his hands.”
The Capitals could have been a good landing spot for Pinchuk, as he would have joined the Protas brothers, who are two of the eight active Belarusian players in the NHL. Instead, he chose a likely soon-to-be rebuilding Predators team, where he won’t have to fight for ice time as he would have in Washington.
Pinchuk will earn $1.025 million during the 2026-27 season. He will then become a restricted free agent ahead of the 2027-28 campaign.
