Kings place Andreas Athanasiou in COVID protocol

The Los Angeles Kings will not have Andreas Athanasiou in the lineup when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday evening, as he has been placed in the COVID protocol.

Athanasiou, 27, only has eight games under his belt this season. After a hot start — he had five points in his first four — he has been held scoreless in four straight. Now the Kings will have to find a way to replace him for at least one game.

The team did not confirm whether or not Athanasiou actually tested positive for coronavirus, but if he did and is experiencing any symptoms he’ll miss a minimum of 10 days. The team was carrying 14 forwards already, so the Kings don’t necessarily need to make a recall in time for Wednesday’s action.