Seven San Jose Sharks players, along with head coach Bob Boughner, have been placed in COVID-19 protocol prior to their clash against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Saturday.

Defensemen Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic as well as forwards Andrew Cogliano, Jonathan Dahlen, and Matt Nieto are all sidelined.

Captain Logan Couture is "under the weather" and won't be playing Saturday, but he isn't in COVID-19 protocol, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

With Boughner unavailable behind the bench, assistant coach John MacLean will take over for the time being.

The Sharks recalled a group of players from their AHL affiliate, including defensemen Nicolas Meloche, Ryan Merkley, and Jaycob Megna in addition to forwards Nick Merkley and John Leonard.

The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes to allow for the analysis of test results.

All players and staff within the Sharks organization have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

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