The Florida Panthers have re-signed defenseman John Ludvig to a two-year, two-way contract and fellow blueliner Casey Fitzgerald to one-year, two-way deal.
Ludvig appeared in 54 AHL regular season games with the Charlotte Checkers, producing three goals and 17 points in 2022-23. He also skated in seven playoff games collecting two assists.
The 22-year-old ranked second among all Checkers in plus-minus rating (+18) and was third on the club penalty minutes with 72. He registered 61 shots on goal and all of his points came at even-strength.
The 6-foot-1, 213-pound native of Liberec, Czechia has amassed 25 points in 70 career AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch (2020-21) and Charlotte (2021-22 to 2022-23). Prior to his professional career, Ludvig skated for three seasons in the Western Hockey League for the Portland Winterhawks, where he served as team captain in his final year of major junior.
Ludvig was originally selected by the Panthers and then general manager Dale Tallon in the third round (69th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver.
Fitzgerald, 26, appeared in four regular season games and two playoff games with Florida in the 2022-23 campaign after being claimed off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres on January
The 5-foot-11, 188-pound native of North Reading, MA, has skated in 63 total NHL regular season games between Buffalo (2021-22 to 2022-23) and Florida (2022-23), recording nine points – all assists.
Fitzgerald appeared in 79 games with Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, amassing nine goals and 34 points and 107 penalty minutes from 2018-19 to 2021-22.