Many draftniks considered John Ludvig, who wasn’t selected in 2018, a huge reach when the Florida Panthers took him in the third round (69th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft after the defenseman produced 18 points in 58 games for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League during his second season in the league.
Fortunately for the Panthers, it looks like former general manage Dale Tallon and his scouting staff knew exactly what they were doing when they scooped up the young defender. Ludvig, who was named team captain, blossomed offensively during his third WHL campaign, racking up an impressive 17 goals and 45 assists in 60 games before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.