The Florida Panthers announced today they’ve agreed to terms with restricted free agent defenseman John Ludvig on a two-year, two-way contract. The team did not disclose financial details.
The 22-year-old left-shot defender will be a restricted free agent again at the end of his new deal and will likely be eligible for arbitration at that point. After COVID and injuries significantly limited Ludvig’s playing time since turning pro in 2020, he finally put together a full-time pro campaign last year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, skating in 54 games and recording 17 points.
It really was a strong first impression for Ludvig, who worked his way into Charlotte’s top four with solid defensive awareness and a good bit of physicality to his game. Born in Canada to Czech parents, Ludvig went to the Panthers with the 69th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, Ludvig still needs another season or two before he’s ready for NHL action considering his delayed development, but it does look like there’s some NHL upside there. He flashed solid offensive instincts in his post-draft season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, serving as the team’s captain in 2019-20 and exploding for 62 points in 60 games before turning pro the following year.