Photo: CHL

The Washington Capitals took center Aliaksei Protas with their third-round selection at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver on Saturday. Protas, 18, spent the 2018-19 season with the CHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, his first with the team.

The Washington Capitals have traded their 118th and 129th picks to the New Jersey Devils for the 91st pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and have selected Aliaksei Protas from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL! #ALLCAPS | #CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/RFTlHIPMpe

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 22, 2019

Protas, a native of Vitesbk, Belarus, posted 11 goals, 40 points, and a +24 rating in 61 games last season and 12 goals, 22 points, and a +12 rating in 23 playoff games.

Protas was ranked 44th by NHL Central Scouting and 64th by HockeyProspect.com.

At the World Juniors Under-20 this season, Protas notched two goals, five points, and a -1 rating. He tallied a goal, four points, and a +2 rating in five games at the Under-18s during the 2017-18 season.

The Capitals acquired the pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the 118th overall pick and the 129 overall pick (which originally belonged to Buffalo Sabres).

Protas, who is listed at 6’5″ and 190 pounds, played on a line with forward Brett Leason, the Capitals’ second-round pick of the 2019 draft.

NHL Network described him as a big rig and a good playmaker during their coverage of the draft. They also said that he sees the ice well and is hard to handle because of his size.

Aliaksei Protas meets the media for the first time as a member of the Capitals after Washington moves up to select him in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft.#ALLCAPS | #CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/PxsMTVlBdm

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 22, 2019

He will likely be at the team’s development camp at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia next week.

The Capitals spent their first three draft picks on forwards, two of them were centers (Connor McMichael, first-round pick).

By Harrison Brown