The Capitals have built a reputation for spending where it matters, but the real edge has come from the deals that barely make a dent in the cap. That’s where the front office has quietly done some of its best work, locking in key players on contracts that now look like steals.
At the center of that picture is a simple truth: when a team gets ahead of the market, it buys itself breathing room. The Caps have stayed right up against the salary cap in large part because three important players are under contract at numbers that don’t come close to matching their production. Whether that’s smart planning, good timing, or a little of both, those bargains matter.
Aliaksei Protas is a perfect example. After putting up 29 points in 78 games in 2023-24, his first full NHL season, the Capitals gave him a five-year deal worth $3.375 million per year.
He has already outgrown that price tag. In the first year of the contract, Big Pro exploded for 66 points in 76 games, then followed that with 52 points in 76 games last season.
That’s the kind of value every team dreams about: a top-six forward with back-to-back 52-plus point seasons before turning 26, all while being paid well below market rate. The contract still has three years left, and when it runs out, Big Pro should be in line for a major raise. For now, though, the Capitals are getting the benefit of a 60-point player at a bargain.
In Other News...
Ovechkin Just Sent A Powerful Message About These Capitals
Alex Ovechkins decision to sign a one-year extension for the 2026-27 season gives the Capitals something they have not always had in recent years: a clear sense that their captain still believes this group can chase something bigger. Washington has spent the offseason reshaping the roster, bringing in Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Vincent Desharnais, and the additions have added more weight to a team that already had reason to think it could stay in the mix.
For Ovechkin, the return is about more than extending a remarkable career. It is also a signal that he sees enough in this version of the Capitals to keep pushing forward, with the Stanley Cup still the standard in his mind. The message matters because it comes at a time when Washington is trying to turn offseason upgrades into something more than optimism on paper. [Read more 🡒]