The Avalanche added another defenseman on Saturday, claiming John Ludvig from waivers. The former Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner played 33 games last year.
It’s a somewhat puzzling move for Colorado, which already has eight defensemen ahead of Monday’s roster deadline. But the Ludvig addition could mean many things for the guys fighting for positioning at the bottom of the roster. I’ll dive into all that shortly, but first, who exactly is John Ludvig?
The 24-year-old was drafted in the third round in 2019 by the Florida Panthers but never dressed for them in an NHL game. Last year, Ludvig was claimed off waivers by the Pens on Oct. 9 after he was one of the last cuts for the Panthers. He ended up dressing in 33 games in 2023-24, scoring three goals and adding two assists.
Ludvig is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound defenseman who plays a physical game. In his first game with the Pens, Ludvig laid out a much bigger Radek Faksa with a massive open-ice hit. He went on to fight five times, which includes a bout against Nashville Predators’ 6’6 forward Michael McCarron. Although he has the tools to make an impact, his overall game is quite inconsistent and he could be pretty invisible when he’s not displaying physicality.
The native of Liberec, Czechia is looking for a fresh start with the Avs after recovering from left wrist surgery, which originally had a 4-to-6 month timeline.
But where does he fit in?
There’s no question that the Avalanche have been underwhelmed with some of the defensemen they brought in over the summer. Both Erik Brannstrom and Oliver Kylington have had inconsistent camps and haven’t yet taken hold of a roster spot. Although Brannstrom has been the better of the two, there is a possibility that neither is in the plans to start in Wednesday’s season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Sam Malinski and Calvin de Haan have been the better options. But, why did the team feel the need to still add Ludvig? Is his physicality the missing ingredient from the bottom pairing? It’s certainly a possibility given the way the team has been pushed around in some of the preseason games. Or perhaps, they might end up placing one of Brannstrom and Kylington on waivers before Monday. Let’s not forget that Brannstrom, who left Thursday’s practice following a collision with Miles Wood, might not even be healthy.
Regardless of what the reasoning is, Colorado’s staff felt the defense wasn’t as figured out as they had initially thought. Given the waiver claim, I’d assume Ludvig will be on the team when the Avalanche submit their final roster on Monday. Unless Brannstrom starts the season on the IR, I can’t see a scenario where the Avs carry nine defensemen to open the season.
