The Islanders always expected it to be a challenge navigating through this NHL season amid the COVID-19 pandemic with potential player absences and reactive schedule changes, even with just 56 games and strict league health and safety protocols in place.
Having one of their players show up on the NHL’s COVID-related absence list after just three games, seeing other teams with games already postponed and the Capitals fined $100,000 for player protocol violations has just emphasized how tough a challenge it will be.
Right wing Josh Bailey remained in COVID protocol on Thursday morning, a day after appearing on the list, as the Islanders prepared to play the Devils that night at Nassau Coliseum.