Avs goalie Grubauer appears headed to COVID-19 protocol
Apr 14, 2021, 3:41 PM | Updated: 4:00 pm
As the Colorado Avalanche barrel toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ll have to do it for a time without their starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer.
Per 104.3 The Fan Avs Insider Adrian Dater, Grubauer tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, which forced Colorado to cancel its morning skate ahead of its matchup with the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.
Grubauer has the positive Covid test. Oh boy
— Adrian Dater (@adater) April 14, 2021
If the protocol is the same for Grubauer as is for rookie defenseman Bo Byram, who entered it last week, the goaltender will be out for at least 10 days, reports Dater.
With just less than a month remaining in the regular season, Grubauer had been among the goalies mentioned in the Vezina Trophy conversation.
Grubauer ranks ninth in save percentage (.920) and third in goals against average (2.00) and is tied for first in games played (34), wins (25) and shutouts (5).
The news comes just days after the Avs traded defenseman Greg Pateryn and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for netminder Devan Dubnyk.
Colorado also acquired goaltending help from the Buffalo Sabres in March, acquiring backup Jonas Johansson for a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft.
