Red Wings’ Thomas Greiss enters NHL’s COVID-19 protocol

Making a last-minute lineup change, the Detroit Red Wings have placed goaltender Thomas Greiss in the National Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocol, the team announced via social media Monday. Following this announcement, Greiss will immediately enter isolation, effectively ruling him out for the club’s upcoming tilt against the Buffalo Sabres. As a result, teammate Alex Nedeljkovic will return to the starter’s crease and will appear in a fourth straight contest. Greiss, 35, will now be subject to a quarantine of at least five days if he’s symptomatic before becoming eligible to return to the team. However, if he’s asymptomatic, the 6’2″ netminder will only need to produce two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. This season, the former third-round selection has appeared in 16 games, posting a 3.36 goals-against average, a .894 save percentage and a 6-7-1 record during his second season in Detroit. As of now, Greiss’ two-year, $7.2-million contract is slated to expire once the 2021-22 campaign co