The Washington Capitals will be without Aliaksei Protas for the foreseeable future.
Head coach Spencer Carbery revealed ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders that Protas is “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. Protas suffered the injury, a skate cut to his left foot, late in the Capitals’ 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
“Lower-body, week-to-week,” Carbery said.
The 24-year-old Belorussian appeared to get cut as he attempted a shot in front of the Blackhawks’ net, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser inadvertently clinked skates with him. He immediately reacted in pain and needed help from teammates to get back to the bench after a stoppage in play.
Protas is in the midst of his breakout season in the NHL, recording 66 points (30g, 36a) in 76 games. He ranks third on the Capitals in scoring behind only Alex Ovechkin (68) and Dylan Strome (75).
Carbery announced that he will be replaced in the lineup on Sunday afternoon by former Islander forward Anthony Beauvillier. The 27-year-old forward was a healthy scratch against the Blackhawks after playing in 12 straight games post-trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline.
Beauvillier played the first seven seasons of his career with the Islanders after being drafted by the club in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
