Bold claim: Aliaksei Protas has carved out a distinctive niche in Capitals lore by scoring more goals at the start of his career without ever lighting the power play fuse. In other words, he’s made a name for himself not with strike-the-puck chaos on the man-advantage, but by delivering five-on-five scoring bursts and steady production at even strength.
Protas emerged as a standout shooter in the 2024-25 season, tallying 30 goals across 76 games. Heading into Sunday’s Capitals vs. Blue Jackets matchup, he was on pace to reach around 25 goals in the 2025-26 season. To date, his career total stands at 52 goals, with the remarkable note that none of those have come on the power play.
Monumental Sports Network highlighted this quirk on its broadcast, revealing a Capitals franchise record: the most career goals to start a tenure without a single power-play goal or point. The top five list in this category reads as follows:
- Aliaksei Protas — 52
- Jay Beagle — 51
- Ken Klee — 38
- Gaetan Duchesne — 32
- Boyd Gordon — 27
Protas surpassed Beagle’s long-standing mark with his 52nd career goal, notching it against the Anaheim Ducks on a Friday night. Beagle finished his NHL arc with 646 games and did not record a power-play point or goal at any point, despite logging 32:26 on the Capitals’ power play over 471 games.
Looking at the broader group, Ken Klee, Gaetan Duchesne, and Boyd Gordon round out the top five. Duchesne eventually buried three power-play goals for the Capitals and nine in his career, while Klee added two with the Capitals and six overall. Gordon later tallied two on the power play during his subsequent stint with the Edmonton Oilers.
Even without frequent power-play opportunities, Protas has made the most of his five-on-five minutes. MoneyPuck notes that he forms one of the league’s top trios at even strength when paired with Tom Wilson and Justin Sourdif. Their on-ice combination this season has produced a 9-2 goal differential for the Capitals, and the line has controlled about 72 percent of the expected goals and high-danger chances during their shifts.
With Ryan Leonard sidelined for an extended period due to an upper-body injury, Protas could see more time on the top power-play unit. In Sunday’s game against Columbus, Ethen Frank stepped into Leonard’s role on the top unit, and Protas received a brief 12-second shift on a power play after the initial unit had rotated off.
This situation invites a broader question: should Protas be rewarded with more power-play duty given his proven even-strength impact and the team’s evolving injury picture? Critics might caution against forcing a square peg into a round hole, while supporters would argue that maximizing a high-contribution player’s ice time, in the right situations, could unlock greater overall scoring for the Capitals. How do you view this balance: prioritizing established power-play specialists, or leaning into versatile players who excel at five-on-five and can contribute when the situation permits?
