Some details on a potential COVID-19 roster protection plan for all 32 NHL teams
With the COVID-19 situation intensifying around the National Hockey League, the NHL and NHLPA have been hard at work to come to an agreement on how to provide teams with some relief.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the League and the Players Association are working on putting together a COVID roster protection plan. The plan is expected to include optional taxi squads and emergency call-ups from the AHL.
The one detail worth noting regarding AHL call-ups is that only players making less than $1M would be eligible to be called up if a team would exceed the salary cap.
In addition, teams will potentially be allowed to add a goaltender without a cap penalty if they face a situation where they have less than 2 healthy goaltenders.
If this roster protection plan is implemented, it will go a long way in making sure that teams will be able to ice the appropriate number of players, rather than being forced to play shorthanded. This could certainly help to prevent injuries as well, with players not being forced to play more than a healthy amount.
