Avalanche middle Nathan MacKinnon had one other constructive COVID-19 check on Saturday and received’t journey with the crew to Washington on Monday, coach Jared Bednar mentioned after Sunday’s apply.
MacKinnon missed the Avs’ first two video games of the season — a 4-2 win over Chicago and 5-3 loss to St. Louis at Ball Area — after testing constructive final Monday. NHL COVID protocol requires two consecutive-day damaging exams for a participant to rejoin his crew.
Defenseman Jack Johnson, who missed Saturday’s sport towards the Blues due to a constructive check, examined damaging on Saturday and can journey with the Avs if Sunday’s check can also be damaging.
Colorado’s three-game journey options stops on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, the Florida Panthers on Thursday, and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The depleted Avs are simply $24,483 below the $81.5 million wage cap, in line with CapFriendly.com, and once more won’t be capable of produce a full 20-player lineup this week. They’d a 19-player lineup Saturday towards the Blues.
“There’s totally different choices that we are able to have a look at to attempt to area the most effective crew we presumably can for the sport in Washington,” Bednar mentioned.
High-line left wing and crew captain Gabe Landeskog will full his two-game suspension towards the Capitals. And first-pair defenseman Devon Toews, who’s on injured reserve due to low season shoulder surgical procedure, will journey and is perhaps cleared in Florida.
Bednar mentioned ahead Valeri Nichushkin (upper-body harm) won’t be on the journey together with ahead Stefan Matteau, who was sustained an ankle harm on Saturday in his debut with the membership and is out “weeks.”
The Avs received’t apply Monday earlier than departing for Washington.
“We’re gonna take everybody that’s a risk to play that that isn’t lacking with COVID,” Bednar mentioned. “They’ll’t journey with you in the event that they’ve had constructive exams. We’re bringing everybody that has the chance to play for us.”
This story shall be up to date.
