Positive injury updates for Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas

That was the big note out of the pre-skate scene on Monday, with Protas taking a spin ahead of the group after missing Saturday's game with a lower-body injury. Even a short pre-skate appearance matters right now, because Washington is running out of wiggle room.

Wilson's situation feels heavier. Tom Gulitti reported the winger, also dealing with a lower-body issue, did not skate with the Capitals on Monday, keeping his status pointed firmly at «wait and see.»

The Caps just lived the downside of that on Saturday against Chicago. They lost 3-2 in a shootout, and the whole game tilted once Wilson went down, because their net-front bite and forecheck pressure weren't the same.

Caps fans can feel the heartbeat missing when Wilson is out, and the building gets quieter in the hard areas. He leads Washington with 22 goals and 42 points, and the 31-year-old, drafted 16th overall in 2012, drives a lot of their chaos.

Protas is a different kind of fix, but he's still a fix. The 24-year-old, a 2019 third-rounder, helps you hold pucks on the wall, get through the neutral zone cleanly, and keep shifts from turning into extended defending.

If he's closer to returning, Spencer Carbery can spread minutes with less panic. It also steadies the breakouts, because Protas can be that middle-lane outlet who turns a rim into a controlled exit.

Washington hosts Anaheim on Monday night, and that's the kind of game where details decide it. If the Caps are missing Wilson again, they'll need cleaner entries and more inside shots to avoid chasing.

Keep an eye on warmups and the first few shifts, because that's where you'll see the truth. If Protas can take contact and Wilson can't go, the Caps' forecheck mix and power-play look will change fast.

Either way, Monday is about getting bodies back, then seeing if the lineup can feel normal again by the next puck drop.

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Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas injury update