Capitals Development Camp Begins: Ilya Protas Locked Into NHL, Oliver Suvanto Debuts, Free Agency Looms

The future of the Washington Capitals officially hits the ice this week. General manager Chris Patrick made headlines by revealing that Ilya Protas is already penciled into Washington's NHL center group for next season. After dominating the AHL and winning Rookie of the Year honors, Protas appears ready to make the jump full-time, giving the Capitals a young and intriguing center core heading into training camp. Development camp also opens at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, providing fans their first look at the organization's newest prospects. First-round pick Oliver Suvanto takes the ice in a Capitals jersey for the first time, while Lynden Lakovic returns after missing much of last season due to injury. Terik Parascak and the rest of Washington's young talent begin taking the next steps in their development pipeline. The Capitals also made several organizational decisions ahead of free agency, electing not to qualify Ryan Hofer, Garin Bjorklund, and Jesper Vikman. Those moves create opportunities throughout the system as Washington prepares for July 1. With Alex Ovechkin still unsigned and the Capitals expected to pursue roster upgrades, the next few days could significantly shape the future of the franchise. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Decagon Ready to transform your customer support? Go to decagon.ai/LOCKEDONNHL to get a personalized demo and see what Decagon can do for your team.   FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.