The Washington Capitals are set to get two of their key players. Alex Ovechkin and defenseman Dmitry Orlov have been cleared from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols, according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Both Ovechkin and Orlov skated during morning practice Saturday with the team.
Both are available to play in Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins. However, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette was mum about them playing, “We’ll see.“
Ovechkin and Orlov were placed on the league’s COVID absence list on Jan. 20 along with goalie Ilya Samsonov and forward Evgeny Kuznetsov. Both Samsonov and Kuznetsov remain in quarantine.
The four violated COVID-19 protocols by having social interactions at the team hotel without wearing masks during Washington’s four-game road trip in Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
Ovechkin and Orlov missed four games, last playing on Jan. 19. The Capitals were 3-0-1 in their absence.
