Washington Capitals reveal health status of Wilson and Protas after practice scratch – are they game-time doubts?

Capitals Provide Updates on Wilson and Protas After Missing Practice

The Washington Capitals were without two of their top forwards during Sunday morning’s practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas remained off the ice as they continue to deal with lower-body injuries ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

In addition to Wilson and Protas, the Capitals practiced without forward Justin Sourdif and defenseman Jakob Chychrun, both out for maintenance. Sourdif logged 20:51 of ice time and fired four shots against the Blackhawks, while Chychrun led the team with 24:58, contributing three hits and two minor penalties.

The team provided updates on Wilson and Protas: Wilson is undergoing further evaluation from medical staff, with a clearer timeline for his return expected on Monday. Protas, meanwhile, is listed as day-to-day. Head coach Peter Carbery said it’s not yet decided if the team will call someone up to replace the pair.

“I’ll talk to (general manager) Chris (Patrick) later today about that,” Carbery said. “Willy’s being further evaluated, so we’ll have an update on him, not today. Protas day-to-day. So we’ll see where he’s at. But yeah, I don’t know the answer to that yet.”

Wilson suffered his injury early in Washington’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. After a hit from defenseman Connor Murphy, his right leg became trapped under him, forcing him from the game after just 5:55 of ice time. Carbery indicated postgame that the injury didn’t appear to be serious, but Wilson’s return remained uncertain.

Protas missed Saturday’s game entirely, marking his first absence of the season. The 24-year-old Belarusian had injured himself the previous Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, crashing skates-first into the boards. Despite finishing that game and scoring a goal, Protas was replaced in the lineup by Sonny Milano against Chicago.

The pair are key contributors for Washington this season. Wilson leads the team with 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 41 games, while Protas ranks fourth with 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists). Only Wilson has more goals than Protas on the team.

The Capitals will remain at home for their next two games, taking on the Ducks on Monday and the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.