The Colorado Avalanche closed out the preseason with a 2-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday. With the regular season around the corner, here are three takeaways from Colorado’s preseason. 

Depth, defensemen underwhelm 

Earlier Saturday, the Avalanche claimed 24-year-old defenseman John Ludvig off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 6’1”, 210 pound defender plays a physical brand of hockey and the Avalanche really only have one player who plays like that on their current blueline.

The waiver claim came as a minor surprise, simply because the Avalanche added three veteran defensemen over the summer. Two of those veterans, Oliver Kylington and Erik Brannstrom, have really struggled during the preseason, having been seriously outplayed by Sam Malinski. Seeing as how both Kylington and Brannstrom play a similar brand of hockey, it makes some sense to pick up someone who provides something a little different. 

Rosters don’t have to be finalized until Monday, but league rules require Ludvig to stay with the NHL club. That means either Kylington or Brannstrom could be in trouble. 

Young forwards lock up spots 

Barring a major surprise, expect to see both Calum Ritchie and Nikolai Kovalenko in the lineup on opening night against the Golden Knights. Kovalenko earned his spot with his combination of skill and hard work, while Ritchie might be the fifth most talented forward on the roster. He’s had some tough moments defensively, but some major flashes of brilliance at the other end. 

There’s a chance the Avalanche dress a third young forward. 22-year-old Ivan Ivan has done nothing but impress, just hanging around all camp long and scoring another goal in the preseason finale. If he doesn’t start the year in the NHL, he has certainly made himself a call-up option. 

No injuries 

A handful of NHL teams have been dealt devastating blows this preseason with injuries to key players. Los Angeles lost their top defenseman in Drew Doughty for months, while the Montreal Canadiens lost Patrik Laine to a serious knee injury.

While the Avalanche went just 1-5 in preseason, none of that ultimately matters. What matters is that they appear to have escaped without any real injuries, meaning they’re relatively healthy heading into the regular season. 

And isn’t that all that really matters?