Dominique Ducharme was dealt what he himself referred to as a “curveball” on Thursday morning, when it became clear that defenceman Sami Niku and franchise favourite, right-winger Brendan Gallagher, got held up in the league’s COVID protocol, and have since had confirmed results that they have the coronavirus.
It wasn’t all bad news pre-puck drop though. Former hat trick-hero Mathieu Perreault was cleared to return after missing the last 15 games with an eye injury that required laser surgery. The same was true for the defensive side, where Niku effectively could be replaced by either Brett Kulak or Chris Wideman; with both defencemen ready to strap on the gear after getting rid of their respective ailments.