Granato, Cozens Placed In COVID Protocol

The Buffalo Sabres had been fairly untouched by the recent COVID outbreak due to the more transmissible Omicron variant, but on Sunday the club reported that head coach Don Granato, 2020 first round pick Dylan Cozens and forward Mark Jankowski have been placed in the NHL’s protocol.

All three have been reported as being asymptomatic at this time, but there is concern regarding the 54-year-old Granato, who suffered from a severe case of pneumonia in 2019 and coached from the press box for a time as an assistant coach under Ralph Kreuger.

Forwards Zemgus Girgensons, Jeff Skinner, and Vinnie Hinostroza are also on the NHL’s COVID list.

The Sabres have had four games postponed’ December 20 vs. Columbus, December 22 vs. Colorado, December 23 at Columbus and December 27 vs. the NY Islanders.

The NHL indicated in a press release that they could announce more postponements when they provide an update on Sunday night, but with the league’s decision to not send players to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, they will have most of the three-week window reserved for the Olympics to make up games.