The Panthers placed four new players in COVID-19 protocol on Sunday, the same day that they activated eight players from the list. With Weegar likely out until the middle of next week, Gustav Forsling skated on a pairing with Aaron Ekblad in Monday's practice.
Tanev will miss the rest of the 2021-22 season after suffering an ACL injury vs. the Oilers on December 18th. This is a terrible break for Tanev, who was having a career year, scoring nine goals with six assists (15 points) in his first 30 games of the season.
This is the first time the Maple Leafs have been impacted by COVID-19 with Kerfoot and John Tavares landing in protocol. Kerfoot will likely miss at least 10 days.
Crouse will miss Friday's game in Anaheim, likely leading to the Coyotes reaching into the AHL for a call-up. If they don't, they'll go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Schmaltz has been out since October 25th but is set to return to the lineup on Friday. Schmaltz will play on the wing in his return, skating on a line with Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse.
Connauton was in and out of the Panthers lineup over the last month and was waived yesterday with Gustav Forsling returning on Tuesday. Gabriel Carlsson will remain with the Panthers now that Connauton is gone.
