LOS ANGELES — Blues rookie defenseman Jake Walman will not play in the team's Monday night game against the Kings in Los Angeles. But he's not scratched with an injury.
The Blues announced that Walman would be out of the lineup due to a positive COVID-19 test.
"Jake Walman has tested positive for COVID-19. We are very comfortable it is a false positive as he passed the POC test today and has also been vaccinated. Under extreme caution, we have recalled Steven Santini under emergency conditions for tonight's game," Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement.
In 24 games in his first extended season cracking the lineup for an NHL club, Walman has one goal and one assist. He has a +/- of -7 on the year.
The Blues recently clinched a spot in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs in the West Division. They're likely to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. The start date for the postseason is still to be determined, as teams are making up postponed games in this final week of the regular season.