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Paul Ludwinski

West Notes: McDavid, Stephenson, Ludwinski

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers are without the services of superstar center Connor McDavid this evening as they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. McDavid was called a game-time decision by head coach Kris Knoblauch earlier today but ultimately missed tonight’s game after suffering a lower-body injury Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

McDavid needs just one assist to reach 100 on the season and would become just the fourth player to ever tally 100 assists in a season alongside Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux. The 27-year-old has 31 goals to go along with his 99 helpers in 74 games this season as he and the Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division behind the Vancouver Canucks.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson didn’t dress tonight against the Oilers for personal reasons. The 29-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and has seen his numbers dip this season from a career high 65 points last year. In 73 games, Stephenson has 16 goals and 31 assists and a -11 plus/minus. Recent callup Brendan Brisson replaced Stephenson in the Golden Knights lineup.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have loaned forward Paul Ludwinski to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The 19-year-old was assigned to Rockford last year as well but didn’t appear in any games. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Ludwinski was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL entry draft by Chicago and appeared in 60 games this season for the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He set career highs in most offensive categories as he tallied 23 goals and 46 assists and added six points in five playoff games.

Blackhawks Sign Paul Ludwinski

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Blackhawks have put pen to paper with prospect Paul Ludwinski, announcing that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $931,667.

The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by Chicago last year (39th overall) and has had a bit of a tough year with OHL Kingston.  Injuries have limited Ludwinski to just 47 games this season and his output has dipped to just nine goals and 25 assists, good for a tie for fifth on the Frontenacs in scoring.  Kingston is going to come up just short of reaching the playoffs this season which means after this weekend, Ludwinski will be permitted to join AHL Rockford for the stretch run in the minors.

However, while he’ll likely make his pro debut in the next few games, Ludwinski won’t be permitted to start next season in the AHL.  At his age, his options at the start of next season will be either Chicago or Kingston with the latter being the probable outcome.  Accordingly, his contract would be eligible for a slide next year which means this entry-level agreement is likely to run through the 2026-27 campaign.

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