Caps' Eller and Hagelin to leave the team

The Washington Capitals have a legit chance to win another Stanley Cup. With the wild playoff format, the team is preparing for their 1st-round match up. The team is led by Alex Ovechkin, however, it's a couple from their secondary compliment that is in the news, as both Lars Eller and Carl Hagelin will be leaving the team during the playoff tournament.



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Both Eller and Hagelin, and their wives of course, are expecting birth of children. For Eller sometime around August 8th and for Hagelin early September.

Both players will be granted leave and will be under strict guidelines for visiting family and returning to the bubble. Once each player returns, they will be subject to stay away from the team for at least 4 days, where they will undergo a Covid-19 test, for four consecutive days. Should the results of all 4 tests be negative, they can then begin play.

For Lars Eller, he's recently admitted, returning to the NHL wasn't a given:

A lot of thoughts going into the decision. Weighing the pros and cons. We’re going to have a new addition to our family in a couple of weeks. But at the same time, I want to be with my team and win another Cup. We’re working on making the necessary arrangements so I can be there for the birth and then come back to the bubble after that.

Look for the Capitals to go deep this playoffs. They will have an extra couple fans cheering them on.


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Photo credit: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire