Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan McLeod has been placed on COVID protocol, the team announced on Tuesday. No further details were released by the team.
Elsewhere around the league, it was announced a number of Calgary Flames games were postponed after nine players and a coach were put in protocol as well.
The Carolina Hurricanes have also placed several players in protocol. The Hurricanes were in Edmonton on Saturday, but the teams didn’t say whether McLeod being placed in protocol is related.
At the end of November, Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci was also placed in quarantine.
The Oilers will also be without Zach Hyman Tuesday night as the forward is day to day after being injured Saturday against Carolina.
But, defenceman Duncan Keith is expected to return to action after missing eight games with an upper body injury.
“(I’ve) been doing everything I can to keep my injury up. A lot of working out, a lot of training. There are a lot of things you can do in the gym. Watching games. Get a different perspective watching sometimes,” said Keith.
The Oilers will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak. In that span, they’ve scored only eight goals.
“When you’re slumping, everything seems so much harder,” said Leon Draisaitl. “Every puck that doesn’t go in, it seems like you can’t score. It seems like you can’t make a play. That’s kind of where we just have to snap out of it.”
Head coach Dave Tippett said he understands the struggles weigh on his team but, ultimately, the guys have to get out there and get the job done.
“I’m sure it weighs on you, but you have to work through it,” said head coach Dave Tippett.
“It’s not as if they don’t want to score. They all want to score. When you get into a rut like this, you have to earn your way out of it.”
The Maple Leafs have never lost to the Oilers in regulation time at Rogers Place, going 8-0-1 since the building opened for the 2015/16 season.
Catch the game on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.