Detroit Red Wings: COVID protocol absences could mean postponements
By Tyler Kotila
If the Detroit Red Wings have more players placed on the COVID-19 list, they may face some postponements. Just five games into the season, the entire National Hockey League (NHL) has had some COVID-19 issues.
The 2020-21 season even opened up with the Dallas Stars having to sit some games out amid an outbreak that delayed the start of their season. Soon after, the Carolina Hurricanes had a similar situation where five players were added to the COVID-list, and that led to game postponements.
The Red Wings currently have five players on the COVID-list: Adam Erne, Filip Zadina, Jonathon Merrill, Robby Fabbri, and Sam Gagner. Five players on the list are the point where the Hurricanes opted to postpone their contest with the Nashville Predators.
With five players on the list, the Red Wings are entering some dangerous territory where the possibility of game postponements is a real thing. The Detroit Free Press reported this to be the case and even included some comments from head coach Jeff Blashill.
The Detroit Red Wings could see some game postponements if more players are added to the COVID protocol list.
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The Red Wings are down five players but do have their taxi squad in which they can pull from, but continued additions to this list could cause a postponement.
On Saturday, there were no new additions from the Red Wings to the COVID protocol list, which is a step in the right direction.
Looking on the bright side, Darren Helm and Christian Djoos were both taken off of the COVID list recently and are back on the ice.
Well, Helm is listed as questionable, but they are both free of COVID protocols. The Red Wings are off to a 2-3-0 start and should be focusing on using confidence as momentum.
If they can avoid falling into a downward spiral with a few losses, they should be able to do good.
However, a postponement could ruin an upward swing in confidence, momentum, and morale. Hopefully, the Red Wings can stay safe and avoid any further additions to the COVID protocol list to make sure that they keep playing their schedule out as it is.
Postponements have not been talked about explicitly by the league, but if things start taking a turn for the worse, there is a different conversation to be had.
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The Red Wings are looking to improve from the 2019-20 season, but it is going to take an upward swing in momentum to snatch some wins and avoid falling into the abyss at the bottom of the 2020-21 standings.