"I mean, for a young guy in this league, there's going to be some nights that are better than others. So you just want to make sure you're putting these guys in a position to have success initially, especially if it's their first time playing in the NHL."
"We had high expectations for him coming into this season, and he's met or exceeded those," Patrick said. "Very excited about his future with the organization. For a 20-year-old guy doing what he's doing in Hershey this year in the AHL, it's usually a sign of good things to come."
"Yeah, it'd be nice if we could find the right situation for sure,"
The Washington Capitals are open to calling up 19-year-old center Ilya Protas for an NHL debut during the 2025–26 season if the situation is right. Protas leads the Hershey Bears with 14 goals and has 27 points in 34 games, plays on the first line, power play and penalty kill, and earned selection to the 2026 AHL All-Star Game. The organization prioritizes ensuring a prospect's long-term success over a single appearance, noting young players can have uneven nights. Protas scored 50 goals and 124 points in his OHL rookie season and was a 2024 third-round pick.
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