The Washington Capitals will be without one of their centers for the next while, as Lars Eller has left the bubble in Toronto to return to Washington for the birth of his second child. Eller will be required to quarantine in his hotel room for four days and provide four consecutive negative COVID-19 tests before rejoining the Capitals.
This was expected, but it still doesn’t make it any easier for the Capitals who will have to try and win their final two round-robin games without Eller. Washington lost their first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which Eller played more than 17 minutes, recording an assist and five hits.
While the round-robin is obviously not as important as elimination games, securing a top seed would only help the Capitals in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup. For now, they’ll have to wait and see how long it takes Eller to return to quarantine before seeing if he’ll be available to start round one of the playoffs.
This may not be the only time the team has to deal with something like this, depending on how the playoffs go. Carl Hagelin is also expecting the birth of a child in September.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
About to welcome a new Baby Tiger into the household! Congrats! (Thanks to the Twitter poster for that! Sentiments shared by me.)
How is it that normal people have to quarantine two weeks to be considered good to go, but these guys can do 4 days? If he got it the day before he went back it likely wouldn’t even be on a test 4 days later.
The guys going home to welcome a child into this world. Not like he’s travelling to a bunch of different places and going out and partying. He will be tested probably every day he’s in quarantine that’s why he’s able to re enter after 4 days
@josiahdd – It’s different rules for different fools. One can just look at recent events outside of hockey to see how covid rules are arbitrarily applied.
As for Lars, congrats on the new nipperkin!
@Gbear – Sad, but true… (the COVID part, not Eller’s new little sparky to come)
Yes let’s all panic over a virus that has a lower mortality rate then the common flu. You sheep need to stop listening to the mainstream media.
Good going and great role model
@joefriday – And that’s just the facts, man, just the facts. ;)