The Ottawa Senators have removed defenceman Nikita Zaitsev from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol ahead of Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
The NHL previously postponed three Senators games between Nov. 16 and Nov. 20 after 10 players were added to the protocol. Eight players were removed on Saturday, leaving Drake Batherson as the only player in protocol after Zaitsev’s activation from the list.
Zaitsev, 30, has one goal in 11 games as a mainstay on Ottawa’s blue line. The club recently lost fellow right-side defenceman Josh Brown to an upper-body injury against the Avalanche, so Zaitsev will be a welcomed addition should he play Wednesday in San Jose.
The Senators are currently in last place in the NHL with nine points through 16 games.
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