John Ludvig

August 2023 – Ludvig stayed healthy all year in the AHL—he had only played 16 games since 2020—and began rediscovering the scoring touch he surprised observers with in his final season in junior. His NHL future remains murky for now, but he still has the potential to put up 30 points with solid peripherals in the near-ish future. Someone to monitor, but leave him on the wire for now in all but the deepest of leagues. Ben Gehrels

February 2023 – Ludvig has finally strung together a decent stretch of games for Charlotte (AHL), already playing twice as many games this campaign than the last two years combined. He currently sits fourth or fifth on the Checkers’ depth chart, so he will have to work hard to earn more minutes and opportunities. It remains to be seen whether he will hold any interest for fantasy purposes. Ben Gehrels

May 2020 – Ludvig has become more confident in his offense abilities and it showed this past season with the Portland Winterhawks. His point total jumped from 18 in 2018-19 to 62 in 2019-20. This occurred because he was more willing to get involved and take risks in the offensive zone instead of solely playing a disciplined defensive game. Ludvig drove to the net more often, leading to quality scoring opportunities. Additionally, he possesses a powerful and accurate shot from the point, making him a threat from all over the offensive zone. Pairing Ludvig’s already sound defensive game with his newly found offensive upside makes him a very intriguing piece of the Panthers’ future. He is still a few seasons away from the NHL but fantasy owners have themselves a quality blueliner in Ludvig. John Gove

April 2020 – Ludvig will return to the WHL, next season, for his final year of junior eligibility but fantasy owners should make a mental note that he’s projected as a future top-4 NHLer. One of the building blocks on Florida’s blue-line. Keith Fries

June 2019 – It was quite surprising to hear overage defender John Ludvig name called at #69 by the Florida Panthers. The Kamloops native showed this season that he has all the tools to be a complete shutdown defenseman at the Junior level, but he will need to improve his skating and transition play to make it to the next level. In his second season playing for the Portland Winterhawks, Ludvig gathered 18 points (five goals and 13 assists) in 58 games, while having a plus minus of plus 38, good for sixth place in the WHL. Ludvig will play in Portland next season and will need to step up in an elevated role. Maxime Tellier