Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was added to the NHL COVID protocol list on Thursday, joining Tyson Jost, who was added Wednesday.
Landeskog missed part of training camp while on the protocol list, though he later said he didn’t test positive for the coronavirus. Erik Johnson, who did test positive, Philipp Grubauer and Brandon Saad also missed part of camp for protocol reasons.
The Avalanche/Minnesota game scheduled for Thursday was postponed by the league Wednesday because of the virus; six Wild players are on the protocol list.
The Avalanche were still scheduled to play Saturday and Sunday in St. Louis, difficult games even if they were healthy. Presumably, Landeskog and Jost won't be able to travel.
That obviously isn’t the case. Six players already were injured -- forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert; defensemen Johnson and Devon Toews, and goalie Pavel Francouz, who has been placed on the long term injury list.
Two-thirds of the first and fourth lines are now unavailable, along with two of the top six defenseman and the backup goalie.
Here is the NHL explanation for what being on the protocol list means:
Continuing for the balance of the 2020-21 season, the NHL is sharing the names of Players who are “unavailable… to the Club (to practice, travel or play in games) due to COVID protocols. Such “COVID Protocol Related Absences… can be the result of a number of factors including, among others: (1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.
No additional detail will be provided either by the League or the Club, including the precise reason the Player is unavailable or how long he might be out.
The league on Thursday announced additional preventative measures that must be taken by every team:
The @NHL announced today a series of additional COVID-19 preventative measures, which all Clubs must implement beginning with today’s games.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 4, 2021
Details: https://t.co/U7Ywo6C8X2 pic.twitter.com/tNIiDenEg3