Devils sidelined through at least Feb. 6 due to COVID-19

The New Jersey Devils won't play through the opening week of February. 

On Monday, the NHL confirmed that the Devils are sidelined through at least this coming Saturday (Feb. 6) due to the league's health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. As a result, New Jersey's games at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and Thursday and a Saturday showdown with the New York Rangers are all postponed.

The Devils are scheduled to host Pittsburgh on Feb. 9, but the status of that game likely won't be determined until later this week at the earliest. 

According to Sportsnet, New Jersey forward Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Sami Vatanen were added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list on Sunday. The league explained that four new Devils players were added to that list on Monday, which prompted the team's shutdown. 

New Jersey's training facilities are closed and won't reopen until further notice. The league is working on rescheduling the scrapped games. 

The Devils defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 on Sunday. Buffalo hasn't yet reported any coronavirus-related issues stemming from that contest.