What's Gone Into Aliaksei Protas' Rise To Stardom For The Capitals: 'We All Say He's The Best Player In The League'

Here's what's made Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas such a dynamic player as he picks up where he left off.

When asked about his teammate Aliaksei Protas and what makes him so successful, Washington Capitals winger Ryan Leonard had a theory.

“Made in a laboratory,” he joked.

The 6-foot-6 forward, who busted out onto the scene after a 30-goal season where he also earned Selke consideration and was among the league leaders in plus/minus, picked up right where he left off on Saturday with two goals and an assist to help the Capitals past the New York Islanders.

“It’s crazy. We all say he’s the best player in the league, so it’s special,” Leonard continued. “He’s a special player.”

What’s made Protas such a dynamic player this early in his career, though?

A lot of it is his skating. The 24-year-old, of course, benefits from his height, which helps with longer strides, but he’s able to generate speed easily, and his edge work has also come a long way. That was on full display as he ripped off Tony DeAngelo in the defensive zone on Saturday before racing for the puck and gifting himself a breakaway, where he beat Ilya Sorokin clean.

The credit goes to skating coach Wendy Marco; Protas has been a long time believer in her methods.

“My brother and I love her and love her drills,” Ilya Protas noted. “He brought it to our offseason (training) and we’ve done it in the summer back home. So we’re getting better every day.”

Then, there’s his tenacity. Protas is aggressive on the forecheck and uses his vision and reach to take advantage of different plays and win puck battles. His shot, which has come a long way thanks to Kenny McCudden and the rest of the coaching staff, also stands out.

“He’s a horse,” coach Spencer Carbery said of Protas. “He’s such a big guy that skates so well... his all-around game and how effective he is (impressive).”

Ultimately, though, the biggest thing when it comes to Protas’ success this early in his career is his hockey IQ. He’s never out of position, gets to the high-danger areas and thinks the game ahead of his opponents, giving him an edge that’s made him a steal over time.

“You look at a guy like Pro and everybody’s like, ‘Oh, he’s got long arms,’ you know, but Pro’s extremely smart. Just stopping at him being a big guy is not (right),” Dubois recalled. “If you really want to figure out the smarts, the stick, the battles, winning battles physically is obviously (about being) strong, but you can win battles by being in a good position and baiting a guy... I think the toughest guys to play against are the guys that big, strong and can skate and are smart.”

At the end of the day, Protas is feeling confident in his game, though he remains modest and is quick to credit his teammates for his success. He also knows he still has ways to go; as Carbery said, he’s still “just scratching the surface.”

“For sure, it gives you confidence,” Protas said of games like Saturday, adding, “We’re a good offensive team, we work together, and when we work together as a team, I think everyone gets rewarded individually.”