The Washington Capitals were back practicing at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday for the first time since returning from their western Canadian road trip. Unfortunately, the team had to leave Lars Eller in Vancouver after the Danish center landed in COVID-19 protocol.

That news means Eller is now out for an unknown period of time so head coach Peter Laviolette had to make some adjustments to his lineup at practice.

Here is how the Caps took their line rushes via The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell.

Connor McMichael moved from the left wing to his natural center position to fill in for the missing Eller. Daniel Sprong jumped back into the lineup where he’ll hope to get his first game for the Caps since March 3 and only his second since February 15.

Eller lands in protocol just as the third-line trio he led with McMichael and Wilson flanking him had been clicking after being united by Laviolette in the past two games. They had just come off a performance in Vancouver that saw the team out-attempt the Canucks 13 to 6, out-scoring chance them 9 to 2, and out-high danger chance them 4 to 0 with the line on the ice at five-on-five.

The Caps’ next opponent is the New York Islanders who have won three games in a row coming into Tuesday night’s action. It will be the second meeting this season between the two teams as the Caps took the first in New York with a 2-0 shutout victory.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB