The Washington Capitals finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, boasting 51 wins, 22 losses, and 9 overtime losses for a total of 111 points.

Protas, who is 24 years old, suffered a skate cut on his left foot during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4, which sidelined him for the last six games of the regular season.

Meanwhile, Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Tampa Bay Lightning will not participate in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers due to a lower-body injury.

Prior to the team's morning skate, Protas was limited to just 15 minutes of skating, indicating he is still recovering.

Despite his absence in the playoff opener, Capitals' coach Spencer Carbery remains optimistic that Protas could return as soon as Game 2.

During the regular season, Protas achieved career highs with 30 goals and 66 points over 76 games, ranking third on the team.

However, the Capitals will be without forward Aliaksei Protas for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round against the Montreal Canadiens due to a foot injury.

The NHL Playoffs have officially begun, with teams gearing up for their postseason matchups.

Game 1 of the Lightning versus Panthers series is set for April 22, with Bjorkstrand having contributed 46 points in 79 regular-season games before his injury.

In other playoff news, Gabriel Vilardi of the Winnipeg Jets practiced in a non-contact jersey, marking his return after missing 11 games due to an upper-body injury.

Since being drafted by the Capitals in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Protas has accumulated 119 career points in 245 games.

Vilardi, who finished the regular season with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games, remains day-to-day as the Jets prepare for their playoff series.