Fitzgerald was claimed off waivers in January, Florida selected Ludvig in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft
It’s been a busy offseason for the Florida Panthers, particularly when it’s come to giving new contracts to defensemen.
That shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
Both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are expected to still be recovering from offseason shoulder surgery when training camp arrives, and their status for the start of next season remains a question.
Since the start of the new league year on July 1, Florida has offered deals to seven blueliners.
Most of the moves came earlier in the month, but Monday saw two more deals given out.
Florida announced the signings of Casey Fitzgerald and John Ludvig to a pair of two-way contracts.
Fitzgerald’s deal is for one-year and reportedly worth $775,000 in the NHL and $475,000 in the minors, per PuckPedia.
Fitzgerald, who Florida claimed off waivers from Buffalo in January, is the son of former Panthers player and current New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.
He’s also cousins with Matthew Tkachuk, and the two have been close since childhood.
After being claimed, Fitzgerald played four regular season games and another two playoff games for the Panthers.
Ludvig was selected by Florida in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He went pro in 2020 and has played the past three season with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, though injuries have limited his playing time.
Last year, his first full pro season, Ludvig played 54 games for the Charlotte Checkers and finished with 3 goals, 17 points, 72 penalty minutes and a plus-18 rating.
Still only 22 years old, if Ludvig can avoid the injury bug, the former 69th overall pick could be poised for a promising year with Charlotte and perhaps get some consideration for an NHL role eventually.