The Minnesota Wild have placed Marcus Foligno into the league’s COVID-19 protocol, ruling him out for the next few days. With him unavailable, the team has recalled Mitchell Chaffee from the AHL. Though the NHL no longer tests daily, with the Wild heading to Montreal and then back to the U.S., the entire traveling party would have undergone testing.
Foligno, 30, in the midst of a career year, with 22 goals and 39 points in 71 appearances for the Wild. The always-excellent defensive forward has turned up his offensive game with an incredible 23.7% shooting percentage and has found amazing chemistry with center Joel Eriksson Ek. He will now miss at least five days, meaning tomorrow’s match against the Canadiens, Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, and potentially Friday’s match against the Seattle Kraken.
As Michael Russo of The Athletic points out though, this isn’t necessarily coming at a terrible time. Foligno had been dealing with some minor injuries, and could use the time to rest and recover, if his symptoms are not too dramatic. With the Wild firmly in a Central Division playoff spot–ten points ahead of both the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators–getting Foligno back to full health before the postseason is obviously a priority.
For Chaffee, it could represent his first real opportunity in the NHL. Though he has been recalled a few times in the past, the 24-year-old forward has never actually suited up for a game with Minnesota, and has to this point only played in the AHL. He’s been great for the Iowa Wild, with 22 goals and 37 points in 45 games this season, but will be facing an entirely new test should he enter the NHL lineup in the coming days.