Capitals' Lars Eller will leave NHL bubble for birth of child

The Capitals will be in the round-robin seeding portion of the 24-team NHL resumption inside the Eastern Conference bubble site in Toronto on Aug. 8, the same day Washington forward Lars Eller and his wife expect to welcome their second child into the world.

As ESPN's Greg Wyshynski wrote, Eller told reporters on Tuesday that he'll temporarily leave the bubble for the birth:

"A lot of thoughts going into the decision. Weighing the pros and cons. We're going to have a new addition to our family in a couple of weeks. But at the same time, I want to be with my team and win another Cup. We're working on making the necessary arrangements so I can be there for the birth and then come back to the bubble after that."

What Eller's return to Canada will look like by then remains unknown. It is expected Canada will extend the border closure to non-essential personnel through at least Aug. 21 due to rising coronavirus cases throughout the United States, meaning Eller or any other player who leaves the secure bubble may have to quarantine for up to 14 days even if he provides four negative coronavirus tests in Toronto. 

Eller and other players are permitted to exit the bubble for extenuating circumstances as long as the team's general manager allows it.