Ludvig Jansson’s path through the Panthers’ pipeline has been a steady climb, with flashes of offense layered on top of the defense-first game that got him drafted in the first place.
Florida took the mobile blueliner in the fourth round, 125th overall, of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal after he spent his draft season with Södertälje SK in HockeyAllsvenskan. In 47 games that year, the 6-foot, 181-pound Stockholm native scored two goals and finished with five points, good for seventh among under-20 defensemen in the league. He also skated in three games for Sweden’s U20 team in 2021-22 and scored once.
The early scouting read on Jansson leaned heavily on his skating and defensive habits. He was described as a strong defensive player with a high motor who can also drive play, and his positioning and mobility were highlighted as tools that help him close quickly on opponents.
Neutral Zone had him rated as a B- prospect and placed him 155th in its final draft rankings. Their assessment said: “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 his first Panthers development camp and four scoreless games at the second take of the 2022 World Junior Championship, Jansson went back to Södertälje for the 2022-23 season and took another step. He played 44 of the team’s 52 regular-season games, set new highs with nine assists and 10 points, and helped the fifth-place club reach the postseason. He then appeared in all six playoff games before Södertälje was knocked out by Mora IK in the league quarterfinals.
Jansson’s biggest international statement came at the 2023 World Junior Championship, where he looked like more than just a stay-at-home defender. He was one of only two defensemen at the tournament to finish with 10 points, alongside American Ryan Ufko, and his total came on four goals and six assists. Against Czechia in Group A, he scored twice, including the overtime winner, and finished the event on the Media All-Star team.
That summer, he attended his second Panthers development camp before heading home for his first SHL season with Luleå HF. In 50 games, he posted three assists, 25 PIM and a minus-seven rating, while also getting one junior-level game in and recording a goal and an assist against his peers. Luleå played him in all seven playoff games, winning a best-of-three series over Örebro HK before getting swept by the Växjö Lakers in the quarterfinals.
He was back in Fort Lauderdale for the 2024 development camp, where he was one of 10 defensemen and scored in the shootout during the final-day scrimmage. His second SHL season turned out to be his best to that point: he again played 50 of 52 regular-season games, scored his first SHL goal and added three assists while working mostly in third-pairing minutes for a Luleå team that finished second in the standings. In the playoffs, he suited up in all 17 games and collected two assists as Luleå beat Växjö Lakers, Frölunda HC and Brynäs IF to win its first championship since 1996.
Florida signed Jansson to a three-year, entry-level deal on May 6, 2025, and he returned for development camp in July, where he scored again in the scrimmage before joining the Panthers’ main training camp. His first North American pro season with the Charlotte Checkers was uneven despite 100 games of SHL experience behind him. He played 31 games, put up three goals and eight assists, and finished with 35 shots on goal, 12 PIM and an even rating.
When injuries hit Florida’s blue line, Jansson got his NHL call on April 9 and debuted the next day against the Ottawa Senators, logging 13:37 of ice time. He played three more games for the Panthers, picked up his first NHL point with a power-play assist, and finished plus-two in the season finale against the Detroit Red Wings.
Back with Charlotte, he played the final two regular-season games and then appeared in two of three games in the first-round loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. After sitting out Game 1, he scored his first career AHL playoff goal in a 5-2 Game 2 loss.
Now 22, Jansson is still an underweight defenseman who skates well and can shoot the puck when the chance is there. He showed a few moments in his brief NHL look last season, but the offensive upside hinted at during the 2023 WJC hasn’t fully surfaced yet. For now, the next step is clear: he still needs to get stronger before he can make the jump from the AHL, and a larger role in Charlotte should be on deck this season.
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