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Nathan MacKinnon still testing positive, won’t start Avs road trip

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Nathan MacKinnon

Jared Bednar said today that Nathan MacKinnon is still testing positive for Covid-19, and therefore won’t be able to get on the Avs’ charter jet to Washington tomorrow, in preparation for Tuesday’s tilt against the Capitals.

Bednar said NHL bylaws prohibit anyone who is still considered “positive” cannot travel with the team. He did say that if MacKinnon has two negative tests in a row, he could join the team later in the week, when they play the two Florida teams. I’m told that MacKinnon feels perfectly fine, but the rules are the rules.

So, that was the continued bad news from today’s practice at Family Sports. There was a piece of good news, though: Jack Johnson tested negative today, and if he tests negative tomorrow, he will be able to go on the trip.

In other notes:

  • Stefan Matteau, who was called up and played a few minutes last night, will be out “weeks” with an injury, Bednar said. I’m terrible on salary cap issues, but I know that if a player is hurt at the NHL level, he must be paid in NHL wages for as long as he’s on the IR. I assume he’ll be put on LTIR and the Avs will get some cap relief on him ($750,000), but I’m not positive on that.
  • Alex Newhook will play for the Colorado Eagles tonight in Henderson, Nevada.
  • Devon Toews won’t play on this trip, but he will accompany the team. “We’re going to take everybody that’s a possibility to play that’s not missing with COVID. They can’t travel with you if they have positive tests. Toews is going to make the trip because we need him skating with us. He’s getting close to taking contact,” Bednar said.
  • Bednar said someone would be called up from the Eagles by Tuesday’s game, but there was no word of any transaction at press time.

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