- Aliaksei Protas says not a single Capital knew Alex Ovechkin was re-signing until the deal was done
- Ovechkin’s one-year extension carries a $4.25 million cap hit and sends him into a 22nd NHL season
- Read below for what Protas said about Washington’s busy offseason
Turns out the Capitals were just as in the dark as everyone else.
Aliaksei Protas shared a locker room with Alex Ovechkin all last season, but he found out about the captain’s new contract the same way the rest of us did. Speaking to the Belarusian Hockey Federation, Protas said nobody in the room had a clue Ovechkin would stay until it was official.
Protas was asked when he learned Ovechkin was coming back.
“No, no one on the team knew until the very end. I was waiting, just like everyone else. Like all the fans, they kept asking me, but I didn’t know until the very end. I was very happy, and the whole team was very happy, when the news broke that he was staying in Washington.”
Ovechkin ended the guessing on July 2. Washington re-signed its captain to a one-year extension worth $4.25 million, locking in a 22nd season for the greatest goal scorer the game has ever seen.
Here’s how it hit the timeline:
Part of what kept Ovechkin going was how hard general manager Chris Patrick pushed this summer. Washington added Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais, rebuilding the roster around one more Cup run.
The moves came with goodbyes. Brandon Duhaime and Trevor van Riemsdyk are gone, and longtime blueliner John Carlson signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Protas talked about all the turnover on the roster.
“It’s great that we signed so many skilled, top-notch players. It’s a shame we’ve lost so many good guys, excellent teammates. It’s sad to see them leave, but that’s the way it works. We wish the guys good luck and no injuries. We’ve acquired a lot of good players, and I’m looking forward to working together.”
Protas is coming off a career year and gets another run next to the franchise icon. For a forward still climbing, that’s about as good a spot as there is.
