The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Zach Aston-Reese for a while after he tested positive for COVID-19. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Josh Yohe of The Athletic that Aston-Reese will enter the league’s protocol.
With the Penguins already missing their two best forwards, losing Aston-Reese for any length of time is certainly not ideal. The team re-signed the 27-year-old forward to a one-year, $1.75MM contract this summer as a valuable, versatile option that has experience playing all over the lineup. While he should be out of the protocols before the season begins, this obviously complicates his status.
This, like the recent absences of Kevin Lankinen and Mike Hardman in Chicago, is another reminder that this season will not be completely back to normal. Teams and players, even those who have achieved full vaccination status, could still face sudden absences based on testing results and will have to prepare accordingly. Having depth options at the ready will be extremely important, especially for a team like Pittsburgh that can’t afford to throw away any games in the competitive Metropolitan Division.
ZAR can never catch a health break
And, Coach Sully gets a couple extra gray hairs…
(shakes his head)
Please start reporting guys who test positive for Covid. No one cares.
Stop reporting
Have to agree, simply because context is missing from these reports. Is it a false positive test? Was the player fully vaccinated and yet still tested positive (questions would arise from that).
I’m sorry you don’t like these stories, but they will not be stopping. An NHL roster player is unavailable to his team for an indefinite period of time, due to a positive test result that forced him into the league protocol. Context, as suggested below, will be included as it is confirmed. But PHR is based around roster transactions and this is an important one for the Penguins, whether you are interested or not.
I know COVID is a hot-button issue, but on our site, this story is no different than “Zach Aston-Reese Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury” which I’m sure you wouldn’t have felt needed to be overlooked.
yeah, dont get the gripe here. ZAR is out, and the context doesnt exactly hurt. as long as the league is ruling guys out for having it, it’s worthwhile material to post.
@Gavin – Fair enough. I would just like the league, if they’re going to implement the protocals they have, give detailed information about the players status. Otherwise, they may as well just call it an “upper body” injury.
Eh, it’s political, assuredly. COVID is a “fake” disease, right? Can’t be having any of that Fake! News! (trans. = “facts we don’t like”) stuff entering the echo chamber.
Keep on keeping on, Gavin. You guys are great.
Dude in a white mask shut us out.