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COVID Protocol Related Absence

Capitals Place Trevor Van Riemsdyk In COVID Protocol

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Another day, another member of the Capitals in COVID protocol.  After center Nic Dowd was placed there yesterday, the team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk has been added to COVID protocol and will not be available for tonight’s game against Columbus.

After having a limited role last season where he played in only 20 games, van Riemsdyk had played in all 24 games for Washington this season, notching seven assists while logging over 17 minutes per night on their third pairing.  The 30-year-old is also tied for the team lead in shot blocks with 36.  The team did not confirm whether van Riemsdyk has tested positive for the virus, but if he has and is experiencing any symptoms, he’ll be out for a minimum of ten days.

Washington has been carrying eight defensemen lately so they won’t need to call anyone up to take van Riemsdyk’s spot on the roster.  Instead, it appears that veteran Matt Irwin will draw in for him tonight based on practice lines.  Irwin signed with the Capitals in free agency over the summer but he has been a healthy scratch for every game so far.

Red Wings Place Tyler Bertuzzi In COVID Protocol

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The Red Wings will be without one of their top forwards for tonight’s contest against the Kraken as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Bertuzzi has been placed in COVID protocol.

Bertuzzi is now the only remaining NHL player to decline the COVID vaccination which has prevented him from crossing the border to play road games in Canada this season.  Despite that, he’s off to the best start of his career with nine goals and nine assists in 20 games, good for third on Detroit in scoring.  That will obviously be put on hold again with him being added to the list of those in the protocol.

As is always important to note when a team places a player into protocol, it doesn’t mean that it’s a confirmed positive test.  However, if it does turn out that he has tested positive, then Bertuzzi will be out for at least ten days.  Detroit, who is carrying a full 23-player roster, would be eligible to designate him as non-roster status, allowing them to bring someone up from AHL Grand Rapids to take Bertuzzi’s place.  With this announcement coming just before puck drop, that won’t be an option tonight but since they’re off until Saturday after this one, they’ll be able to add someone in time for their next game.

Pesce, DeAngelo, McKegg Added To COVID Protocol

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The Carolina Hurricanes have lost another two defensemen, as both Brett Pesce and Tony DeAngelo have been added to the COVID protocol. The two will remain in Raleigh while the rest of the team travels to Dallas, suggesting they won’t be available tomorrow night at the very least. If the pair has tested positive–which the Hurricanes did not confirm–and have experienced any symptoms, they will be held out for a minimum of ten days.

The New York Rangers also have an unavailable player, as Greg McKegg will not skate today after entering the protocol. Like the Hurricanes, the Rangers have not confirmed whether or not McKegg tested positive for coronavirus, only that he will miss today’s practice with a COVID-related absence.

Ethan Bear had already been unavailable for the Hurricanes after entering the protocol a week ago, meaning a huge swathe of the team’s defense corps is now out of the lineup. The Hurricanes had been using Brendan Smith more than they likely expected, but now will also likely have to make some additional recalls. Like with the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ottawa Senators, who have all faced severe outbreaks this season, the Hurricanes aren’t likely to receive any help from the league in terms of postponements unless things get much worse.

Already the Hurricanes had been faltering a bit of late, losing the Metropolitan Division lead after a 6-3-1 run. If they want to catch the Washington Capitals (who have played two more games) in the coming days, they’ll have to do it with a defense group that isn’t quite as established. Pesce logs more ice time than anyone not named Jaccob Slavin, while DeAngelo has been one of the best point-producing defensemen in the league this season with 19 in 20 games.

Carter Hutton Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Arizona Coyotes have placed Carter Hutton in the COVID protocol, despite him not even being on the active roster. The injured netminder was nearing a return, but now it appears the decision on which goaltenders to carry with the team won’t have to be made for a little while longer.

Hutton joins Andrew Ladd and Johan Larsson in the protocol, but the team did not confirm whether or not he had tested positive for coronavirus. If he did and is experiencing any symptoms, the netminder will be held out a minimum of ten days.

Without him, the team will continue to go with Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood, a pair that has actually been relatively good for the team so far. In fact, Wedgewood has a .940 save percentage in his six appearances, winning three times. While Vejmelka has a .905, quite a bit better than Hutton’s early-season showing, he still amazingly has a 1-9-1 record on the year.

The Coyotes will take on the Edmonton Oilers this evening, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Ethan Bear Enters COVID Protocol

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The Carolina Hurricanes may have Seth Jarvis in the lineup tonight, but they won’t have Ethan Bear. The young defenseman has tested positive for coronavirus and entered the league’s COVID protocol.

Bear, 24, has been excellent for the Hurricanes so far this season, recording six points in 16 games while averaging more than 18 minutes a night. The former Edmonton Oilers defenseman is in his first year with the new club after a trade brought him to Carolina in exchange for Warren Foegele.

In the second season of a two-year, $4MM deal signed in 2020, Bear will be looking for another raise this offseason when he hits arbitration-eligible restricted free agency. His current back-loaded deal means he’ll be owed a $2.4MM qualifying offer, and strong play could even have him in line for a multi-year extension.

With that in mind, any absence from the lineup is a notable one, as the team will have to look elsewhere for Bear’s minutes on the back end. Because he is a confirmed positive case, if he experiences any symptoms he’ll miss a minimum of ten days. Given that head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer earlier today that Bear was “not feeling great” it is safe to assume that he is symptomatic.

Mika Zibanejad Removed From COVID Protocol After False Positive

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4:12 pm: Zibanejad experienced a false positive test and has been removed from COVID protocol, per a team tweet. He’ll be available for Sunday’s game versus the Buffalo Sabres.

10:09 am: The Rangers announced (Twitter link) before their practice today that center Mika Zibanejad has been placed in COVID protocol.  As is often the case with these announcements, there is no indication as to whether or not he tested positive or entered the protocol for another reason.

The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a quieter start by his standards this season, scoring just four times in 17 games although Zibanejad has chipped in with ten assists to place him fourth in scoring for New York.  Zibanejad once again leads the way in terms of ice time by a forward, logging over 20 minutes a game.  He’s in the final year of his contract that carries a $5.35MM AAV, a considerable bargain compared to the eight-year, $68MM extension that he signed last month.

Zibanejad tested positive for the virus prior to training camp for last season but that was only back in January.  If this is indeed another positive test, he would be out for at least the next ten days which would cause him to miss New York’s next four games at a minimum.  While that wouldn’t be enough time missed to accelerate their shopping for more forward depth, it would still be a tough blow to a team that has gotten off to a solid start this season with a 10-4-3 record.

Anders Lee, Ross Johnston Placed In COVID Protocol

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The New York Islanders are supposed to open their brand new arena tomorrow night, but they may be without their captain for the festivities. The team announced today that Anders Lee and Ross Johnston have been placed in the COVID protocol.

To be clear, the team has not confirmed that either one has tested positive for coronavirus. Entering the protocol does not necessarily mean they will miss tomorrow’s game, as we have recently seen in the case of Dylan Larkin. Larkin was removed from a game earlier this week, only for the positive test to be confirmed false.

Should Lee and Johnston be confirmed positives, however, with any symptoms, they would be unavailable to the team for a minimum of ten days. That would mean the full five-game homestand would be without their captain, not exactly an ideal situation given the circumstances around the new rink.

William Carrier Placed In COVID Protocol

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It seems like everyday teams are adding players to the COVID protocol, and the Vegas Golden Knights are the latest to do so. William Carrier is unavailable for the team today as he has been placed in the protocol.

The team has not confirmed whether or not Carrier tested positive for coronavirus, or how long the forward is expected to be out. For now, at least, they’ll have to prepare as though he will not be available for them tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes. They will also be without Alec Martinez, who was cut by Brandon Duhaime’s skate last week and is out for tomorrow night. Chandler Stephenson and Mattias Janmark, the other two absences from practice, had maintenance days according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Vegas is on a hot streak of late, going 8-2 in their last ten after a rocky start. Carrier is a legitimate part of that success, despite the fact that he averages fewer than 12 minutes a night. His physicality is a constant for the Golden Knights, and he’s even contributed with a little offense this season, adding two assists in his last game. He’s missed the last two though, meaning the team won’t have to make substantial changes to the lineup with him now in the protocol.

Coyotes Place Andrew Ladd In COVID Protocol

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The Coyotes are the latest team to lose a player to the NHL’s COVID protocol as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Ladd has been added to the protocol.

The 35-year-old is in his first season with Arizona after being acquired in an offseason trade from the Islanders that saw New York part with two second-round picks and a conditional 2023 third-rounder to take on the remaining two years of his contract, one that carries a $5.5MM AAV.  While New York buried Ladd in the minors the last couple of seasons to pick up a tiny bit of cap relief, Arizona has no need to do so and has used him in a regular role this season where he has held his own, notching three goals and an assist in 14 games while averaging 14:24 per game.

The duration of Ladd’s stay in the protocol isn’t known as it was not disclosed as to whether or not Ladd was a close contact of someone or if he tested positive and if so, whether he’s symptomatic or asymptomatic.  In the meantime, the Coyotes had been carrying 14 forwards on the active roster so no corresponding roster move will need to be made in Ladd’s absence.

Senators Place Nick Holden And Jack Capuano In COVID Protocol

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The Senators have added to their COVID list as the team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Nick Holden and associate coach Jack Capuano have been placed into COVID protocol.  Taking Holden’s place on the roster will be blueliner Erik Brannstrom who has been recalled from AHL Belleville.

Holden is in his first season with Ottawa and has played in all but one of their 11 games so far, recording an assist while averaging 17:35 per game of ice time, primarily on the third pairing.  It’s his presence on the roster that played a role in Brannstrom being sent to the minors at the start of the season as having the 22-year-old as a healthy scratch with the Senators would hardly have been ideal from a development perspective.  Brannstrom has a goal and two assists in nine games with AHL Belleville so far this season.

Capuano and Holden will join winger Austin Watson in the protocols after Watson was added there back on Friday and will be there for at least ten days.  While some teams have had some cap challenges when players are added to the list, that won’t be the case for the Sens who will still have more than $12MM in cap room following Brannstrom’s promotion, per CapFriendly.

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