The Washington Capitals have proven quite a bit this season, bouncing back from being a team barely sneaking into the playoff picture to being a favorite for the Stanley Cup this season. And now, there's even more to prove as the postseason kicks off.

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs officially kicking off on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens, we reopened the Capitals Mailbag to answer your burning questions ahead of Round 1.

Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.

Will Logan Thompson and Aliaksei Protas be ready for the playoffs? - @thesealclap

The Capitals are obviously excited to get these two back in the picture, and given the circumstances, I think we see them sooner rather than later.

Logan Thompson has been skating and progressing as he works his way back from an upper-body injury he suffered on April 2. Aliaksei Protas is making progress as well as he recovers from a skate cut he suffered on April 4, but he hasn't skated yet. However, the hope is that he's back on the ice soon.

Washington practices on Saturday and Sunday, and then has a morning skate on Monday before Game 1. I'd be surprised if Thompson or Protas don't take significant strides forward over these next few days, though Thompson will likely be back sooner than Protas given he's ahead in the skating department.

Any chance T.J. Oshie plays in the playoffs? - @joereid97

There are no updates regarding T.J. Oshie or Nicklas Backstrom's statuses. Both remain on the long-term injured reserve and are likely out for the remainder of their time in D.C.

Will the Capitals have Black Aces up for the playoffs? Are Andrew Cristall and Ilya Protas in play? - @maverick3581

The Capitals will certainly bring up some reinforcements for the playoff run; I'd expect the likes of Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko, among others, to come up and be available the further the team goes, especially with Aliaksei Protas still out and only one extra forward on the roster in Ethen Frank.

Defense may be a different story, as the team currently has eight defensemen on the roster.

As for the young guys like Andrew Cristall and Ilya Protas, they'll head to the AHL's Hershey Bears after their playoff runs in juniors come to a close, not to the Show. Not yet, at least.

Will Ryan Leonard play regularly in the playoffs? How is he adjusting? - @ohhkaythen_ and @Hellbengt

Ryan Leonard is taking well to the Show. It's a big adjustment, and he's certainly has had a few welcome to the league moments in terms of physicality, hard hits, a fight and puck control.

That said, he's a well-rounded talent and has been one of the team's best performers and character guys over this final stretch. His speed speaks for itself, and he has a wicked shot; once he gets to a place where he can finish his chances, he's golden.

I'd be surprised if he sits in the playoffs, and when Aliaksei Protas is healthy, I expect someone else to draw out of the lineup given how well he's fit in and how much he's brought to the table thus far.

What's the intel on Montreal? - @HoyasAndNatsFan

These Montreal Canadiens have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. While they fought tooth and nail to the final game to sneak into the postseason, they're thriving with young talent.

Up front, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are just two of their most dangerous weapons. Then, you have grit and leadership from Brendan Gallagher. On the backend, Lane Hutson leads a strong, speedy blue line that can burn you. And in net, Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes have potential.

That said, Washington should take this team seriously. We all know what happened the last time the No. 1 Capitals faced the last-seed Canadiens back in 2010. There's no easy hockey in the NHL.

What has surprised you the most about this season? - @MrEd315

This season's been fun to cover from a storyline standpoint because there's been so many good ones. From Dylan Strome finishing with a point-per-game year to Tom Wilson's 33-goal campaign to Pierre-Luc Dubois' resurgence, there's a lot for Capitals fans to be excited about.

I wasn't surprised to see Alex Ovechkin up to his usual tricks and breaking the all-time scoring record; never bet against the Big Man.

What did surprise me was the rise of Aliaksei Protas. A 6-foot-6 guy becoming a top skater and 200-foot player seemingly overnight has been a joy to watch, and he's one of the best players in the NHL at 5-on-5. Just a joy to watch him play, and he works wonders out there with the puck.

Who do you think will be a surprising key player for this playoff run, a la Devante Smith-Pelly or Brett Connolly? - @spy_balloon

I really think we'll see two guys step up big time: Andrew Mangiapane and Brandon Duhaime. Calling it now, both are going to provide quite a bit of firepower this postseason.

If you could put one former Capital (not from the 2018 team) on this team that could help make them even better, who would you add? - @AdleyLamarKing

This is a great question, and there's a long list of top talent I'd bring back, but I'll go a bit off the board and add in Mike Knuble.

Great veteran presence and a guy who goes hard to the net, knows how to contribute and plays with consistency, and just gives his all shift after shift.

Early offseason priorities? - @Keith_Leonard and @3_and_Out

It's super early to tell, and the Capitals got quite a head of things by re-signing a number of pending free agents like Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd and both of their goaltenders.

I think you need to bolster that third line, which picked up play a bit down the stretch but still has its share of inconsistencies and other questions.

New Screamin' Eagles next season? - @PowerPlayCaps

There was a report in a recent Icethetics video about the possibility of red Screamin' Eagles making a comeback next season, but the source isn't confirmed and, to my knowledge, isn't a jersey insider.

So, I wouldn't read into it, at least not yet. Not saying it's wrong or right, but just saying that I'll wait for a more credible source re: sweaters next season.

Alex Alexeyev's Future? - @zmega1

It's tough for Alex Alexeyev. He only gets eight games this season and spends most of the time as a healthy scratch, but has shown he can be a solid, regular defenseman.

That's why I think he explores other options at this point. He's still young and has upside, and there's just not space for him to get minutes or a full-time role here for the foreseeable future with the blue line stacked.