After selecting Marek Alscher in the third round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Florida Panthers addressed the blue line a second time with the selection of Swedish defenseman Ludvig Jansson in the fourth round (125th overall) of the event.
Jansson, 18, appeared in 47 games with Södertälje SK of HockeyAllsvenskan during his draft season, posting five points (2G/3A), which ranked seventh among under-20 defensemen in the league.
The 6-foot, 176-pound Stockholm native also appeared in three international games with Sweden’s U20 team in 2021-22, producing one goal.
Jansson is a strong defensive player with a high motor who is also capable of driving play. His positioning is good and his mobility allows him to close the gap on opposing players.
Neutral Zone had Jansson graded as a B- prospect (low probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old – some NHL potential) and ranked 155th in its final draft rankings, with the following assessment:
To be: He has quick feet and is exceptional at gapping up or setting his gap during transition. During offensive neutral zone transition, he has the confidence to find the middle.
Not to be: He rarely forces plays or turns the puck over in the defensive zone, but in the other 2/3 of the ice he can telegraph his passes which will lead to odd-man rushes against in the NHL. 47% of his shots hit the net. He wins 48% of his puck battles.
After attending Panthers development camp and playing four scoreless games at the second take of the 2022 World Junior Championship, Jansson put in a second season in HockeyAllsvenskan in 2022-23, playing in 44 of Södertälje SK’s 52 regular season games. He scored one goal and set new highs with nine assists and ten points for the fifth-place club. He appeared in all six of the team’s postseason games before they were bounced by Mora IK in the league quarterfinals.
The 2023 World Junior Championship is where Jansson served notice he might be more than just a defensive defenseman. Jansson was one of two defensemen in the tournament to finish with ten points, American Ryan Ufko was the other, hitting double-digits on four goals and six assists. He scored twice, incuding the overtime winner, in a Group A game against Czechia. At end of the event, he was named to the Media All-Star team along with David Jiricek.
How Ludvig Jansson walked in and buried it into the net to win it for 🇸🇪 Sweden in overtime. #WorldJuniors #CZESWE @Trekronorse pic.twitter.com/PVuVIoj3th
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 29, 2022
In July, Jansson attended his second development camp with the Panthers and is slated to play this coming season in the Swedish Hockey League with Lulea HF.