The COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep throughout the NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers faced that reality head-on on Saturday, as the team placed eleven total members of the organization in health and safety protocols, which includes five players and six supporting staff members.
The Oilers did not disclose the names of the staff members entering protocol. They did reveal the list of players, which is comprised of Kailer Yamamoto, Evan Bouchard, Slater Koekkoekk, Brendan Perlini, and Ilya Konovalov.
As awful as it is to think about, if there was ever a time for the Oilers to experience an outbreak, now would be it.
Following tonight’s contest with the New York Islanders — which might even get postponed as well as a result of these positive tests — the Oilers are scheduled to play just once over the next ten days, with a home game versus the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 10 being the lone matchup on their docket between now and Dec. 20 due to capacity limits instituted by provincial Canadian governments.
An extended break is a silver lining in this otherwise dour story, allowing an already-depleted Oilers team to heal and recover at a time when they need it the most.
It’s a stark reminder, however, of just how prevalent this terrible virus continues to be.