The Detroit Red Wings have their eyes on Aliaksei Protas and his younger brother Ilya, according to a report that surfaced Thursday.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period cited one well-placed source on Detroit's interest. He also flagged the catch: it's unclear if the Capitals want to move either forward.
That catch is a big one. Washington sits second in the Metropolitan Division at 8-4-0, and teams in that spot rarely sell off pieces of a working lineup.
The older brother made the point himself Thursday night. He set up two goals in a 4-3 win in Nashville, the Capitals' third straight.
Spencer Carbery trusted him with 19:33 of ice time in that one. Over his last five games, the 25-year-old has gone plus-4.
But the younger brother is the name that should make Washington nervous. Ilya has five points through 12 games and already owns a power play helper.
The price tags fit Detroit's books. Aliaksei carries a $3,375,000 cap hit, while his kid brother costs just $932,500.
Dylan Larkin's trade list puts Washington in the picture
The rumor mill didn't stop there. NHL Rumour Report added that Washington is one of the 10 teams on Dylan Larkin's trade list.
Larkin is also listed day-to-day with a non-injury designation, out through at least Saturday. He has six points in 10 games this season.
Put those two items side by side and the noise gets loud. Is Detroit shopping for help, or bracing for something bigger?
The standings don't offer much comfort. Detroit is 6-4-3 and sits eighth in the Atlantic Division.
Viktor Arvidsson buried a hat trick in Thursday's 4-1 win over Chicago. The 33-year-old now has five goals over his last five games.
Here's the problem with this pursuit. Forwards aren't what's sinking the Red Wings, and John Gibson's .874 save percentage across nine games says so loudly.
Chasing two forwards while the crease leaks is like repainting the living room with the basement flooding. It looks busy and fixes nothing.
Washington has no reason to blink either. Chris Patrick's club already has Alex Tuch carrying the offense with 10 goals, five of them game-winners.
Ilya's minutes are the one opening. He played just 11:37 in Nashville and has gone minus-3 over his last 10 games.
Shawn Horcoff only took over as Detroit's GM in September. Any ask for the kid would test how hard he's willing to push Patrick.
These clubs haven't met yet this season. Their first meeting comes December 17 in Washington, followed by a home-and-home back-to-back on March 23 and 24.
First, Detroit hosts St. Louis on Saturday, possibly without Larkin. Whether Patrick even picks up when Horcoff calls is a question Washington feels zero pressure to answer.
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Should the Red Wings give up real assets to pry Ilya Protas away from the Capitals?
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