Overview
- The Avalanche lost 2-0 to the Utah Mammoth in the preseason finale on Saturday while dressing a mostly Colorado Eagles lineup and finishing the exhibition slate 2-2.
- Taylor Makar left the game before the second period for an unspecified reason and the team lists him among several forwards with seemingly minor injuries.
- Colorado submitted a wave of transactions after the game that placed multiple players on waivers and reassigned others to the AHL, including names such as Vinnie Hinostroza, Fabian Lysell and Keaton Middleton as waiver candidates.
- With limited salary-cap room the club projects to carry 22 players and has kept rookie TJ Hughes on the NHL roster, a decision that could leave Colorado with as few as 11 available forwards if Zach L’Heureux and Logan O’Connor cannot play.
- The moves close a shortened evaluation period created by the new NHL CBA, which cut camps and preseason games and reduced chances for veterans to be seen while Utah’s power-play finish highlighted a lingering special-teams focus for both clubs.