The Washington Capitals have lost a third player, as Garnet Hathaway finds himself in the league’s COVID protocol. The 30-year-old forward is expected to be unavailable for tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Hathaway joins Trevor van Riemsdyk and Nic Dowd in the protocol and on the sidelines as the team prepares for action. In Saturday’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hathaway played more than 16 minutes, something that is becoming routine lately as the Capitals deal with injuries and illnesses. With seven goals in 25 games, he’s also off to the best start of his career and could quickly eclipse the 11 goal total that stands as his career-high.
The team has not confirmed whether or not Hathaway has tested positive for coronavirus, but if he has and is experiencing any symptoms, he’ll be away from the club for a minimum of ten days. Hopefully, this outbreak stops there and the Capitals don’t lose any other players in the near future.
The Detroit Red Wings have also announced a player absence, indicating that Marc Staal has been added to the COVID protocol. Staal played nearly 19 minutes on Saturday against the New York Islanders and has actually been a relatively solid contributor for the Red Wings this season. His absence–which has not been confirmed as a positive test–would open the door for Danny DeKeyser’s return to the lineup after exiting the protocol in recent days.
Should Staal miss ten days after a positive test, he’d be out for the team’s next five games at least.