Senators add D Josh Brown to COVID protocol

The Ottawa Senators have placed a sixth player in the COVID protocol, adding Josh Brown to it Wednesday morning. He joins Victor Mete, Austin Watson, Nick Holden, Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell as players unavailable to the Senators currently, along with assistant coach Jack Capuano, who is also in the protocol.

Importantly, the team has not revealed whether Brown tested positive for coronavirus or how long he will be held out of the lineup. He did play Tuesday night, logging more than 15 minutes in a loss to the Boston Bruins. Through 12 games for the team this season, he has yet to score a point.

Hopefully, the parade to the protocol ends there for the Senators, though it has obviously already done some damage to their season chances. Ottawa has lost five in a row now and find themselves tied with the Montreal Canadiens for last place in the Atlantic Division. Losing players like Brown is especially impactful, given his important position on the roster. All the team can do right now is try to get through this stretch without any lingering health issues.

The Senators are scheduled to take on the Los Angeles Kings Thursday night, before welcoming in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames for a back-to-back over the weekend.