Florida Panthers sign defenseman John Ludvig to two-year contract

The Florida Panthers have announced the signing of defenseman John Ludvig to a two-year, two-way contract. The team did not say how much the contract is worth in the NHL and AHL. Given that it is a two-way deal, Ludvig will likely earn the league minimum $775,000 in the NHL but could earn anywhere from $100,000 to $450,000 in the AHL.

Ludvig is a depth defenseman who played the 2022-23 season with the Charlotte Checkers in the Panthers organisation. He scored three goals and 17 points in 54 games as a key member of the team that finished with a solid 39-25-8 record in the regular season and lost in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Ludvig was selected in the third-round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Panthers. He is a Czech Republic native who played his junior years in the United States with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. In his final year there, he finished first among Winterhawks’ defenseman in points and fourth in overall scoring. Over the last three seasons, Ludvig has struggled mightily with injury problems, 2022-23 being his first healthy season since 2019-20.

Ludvig has scored five goals and 25 points over three seasons in 70 AHL games played.