Avalanche claim defenseman John Ludvig off waivers

1 week ago  /  Mile High Hockey  /  Read Time: 2 minutes 4 seconds

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Chris Wagner and TJ Tynan were also placed on waivers. It was expected the Colorado Avalanche would be active on the waiver wire ahead of opening night but when they claimed a defenseman on Saturday afternoon it came as a surprise. John Ludvig was the blueliner who caught Colorado’s attention as he was nabbed by the organization after getting waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ludvig is a 24-year old left shot defenseman. He was drafted in the third round in 2019 by the Florida Panthers but did not get in a NHL game for them. Instead, Ludvig was waived last fall and picked up by the Penguins. He suffered multiple injuries and only played 33 games plus four conditioning contests in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Production has not been a calling card of his with the 5 NHL points andc25 career AHL points to his name so the interest must be in the physical presence Ludvig brings.

There’s no chance the Avalanche can carry nine defensemen so something has to give. Either an injury we are unaware of or they have decided to waive one of the depth defenders who were brought in over the summer. Oliver Kylington has the highest price tag at $1.05M and has performed the poorest so it could be him. Ludvig Carrie’s a cheaper $775k cap hit as well.
The Avalanche will also possibly move forward without two players.
Colorado made a few of their own transactions placing forward Chris Wagner on waivers on Saturday. The 33-year-old was on waivers multiple times throughout last year, spending most of his time with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He signed a one-year extension with Colorado last April. If unclaimed, it is highly likely that Wagner will return to the Eagles, although the organization could still elect to keep him on the NHL roster if no other additions or moves are made.
Last season, Wagner appeared in 13 games with the Avs, the most he’s appeared in an NHL uniform since he played 41 games for the Boston Bruins during the 2020-21 season. In 373 career games, the Massaachusetts native has scored 38 goals and 65 assists for 103 points. Wagner has also notched eight in points in 61 postseason appearances.
The second player to be sent packing was T.J. Tynan. The 32-year-old has not played at the NHL level since 2021. He appeared in two games with the LA Kings during the 2021-22 campaign and failed to score a point. He spent last season with AHL Ontario, scoring nine goals and 57 assists in 71 regular season games. Like Wagner, he should land a spot with the Eagles.
The fluid nature of the bottom of the roster at forward will decide the fate of camp surprise Ivan Ivan. If both Wagner and Tynan are reassigned to the Eagles and no forward is added then Ivan very likely will play on opening night.
The Avalanche return to the ice Saturday evening for their final preseason game of the season against the Utah Hockey Club, formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes, at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. local time. ...

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