On Saturday, the Washington Capitals announced that the club has signed their 75th overall pick, Ilya Protas, to a three-year entry-level contract. 

Protas’ contract will be worth a League-minimum $775,000 in 2024-25 and includes a $97,500 signing bonus and a $102,500 player performance bonus. He will make $800,000 with a $77,500 player performance bonus in 2025-26 and 2026-27. His total cap hit will be $889,000 with an average annual value of $975,000. 

Protas is the second 2024 draft pick to sign with the Capitals, along with their first-round pick, Terik Parsacak, who signed his entry-level contract on Friday. 

Known for his 6-foot-4 frame and excellent puck-moving and playmaking abilities, Protas recently joined his brother, Aliaksei, as a part of the Capitals organization after Washington traded up to select him in the third round (No. 75) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. 

The native of Belarus finished up an excellent 2023-24 season with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). In 61 games last season, Protas recorded 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists), 14 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating. 

The 17-year-old forward spent the previous season with Team Belarus at the U17 and U18 levels. He tallied 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists), 37 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating between the two clubs. For the U17’s, he added one goal in two playoff games and improved to six points (four goals, two assists) in 11 playoff games with the U18 team. 

Protas also played with both the U17 (2022-23) and U18 (2023-24) Belarus teams during the Tsyplakov Cup, named after former Belarus professional and six-year NHL veteran Vladimir Tsyplakov. Protas tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in four games over the two tournaments. 

He played in his youth hockey in Belarus with HK Vitebsk.