Ludvig and Shea Add Different Dimensions to Penguins' Defensive Depth

Two of the more under-the-radar names on Pittsburgh’s 22-man opening night roster are Ryan Shea, who signed a one-year deal with the Penguins this summer, and John Ludvig, claimed off of waivers from Florida on Monday afternoon. They’re currently part of a group of eight defensemen which also includes Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Ryan Graves, Marcus Pettersson, P.O Joseph and Chad Ruhwedel.

President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said that outside of their top four, a lot of the personnel they had played a similar style. So they went into free agency trying to find guys who brought different utilities, whether it was size, strength, physicality or penalty killing ability.

“Shea was one of the players we targeted because of his defensive utility and his ability to kill penalties last year for Texas in the American Hockey League,” Dubas said. “He had not yet played in the NHL. So, we went down that path with Ryan. We're happy that we were able to get a commitment from him because we targeted him in free agency.”

From there, Dubas and his staff went through an extensive process during the summer of identifying players who might end up on the waiver wire that could also fit what the Penguins needed. He’s well aware that the Penguins are the oldest team in the league on average, “though I think the talent and the performance of our players at those older ages is still very special. So, not all average ages are equal, per se.

“But we did want to focus on getting younger and using the waiver wire,” he continued. “The fact that we were 14th In the order, which is much higher than the team here is used to, to target and then bring people in. That’s what we did with Ludvig on Monday.”

Ludvig, who also has yet to make his NHL debut, is just 23 years old. He has played parts of three seasons in the American Hockey League after being drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2019 draft. At 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, he brings size and strength, with Head Coach Mike Sullivan saying he is good at the net front and good at blocking shots, calling him ‘hard to play against’ and ‘abrasive.’

“They like my game,” Ludvig said. “I bring a hard, defensive style. Something I think they’re saying this team needs, and that’s what I’m looking to bring here.”

Ludvig said he’ll play wherever he can slot in, joking that he’d even go between the pipes if needed. He’s been eager to get going with his new team after a brutal stretch of travel, as Ludvig had jumped in his car and got on the road after first being placed on waivers, with an 11-hour drive from Florida to Charlotte. As he was speeding up the coast, Ludvig received a phone call that he needed to change the destination on his GPS. He was going to Pittsburgh, another six hours north.

“I don’t even want to think about (the amount of driving),” he laughed after getting on the ice Tuesday ahead of Pittsburgh’s season opener versus Washington. “I got two hours of sleep last night, drove 14 hours and another three hours this morning. Today was a tough morning skate. I didn’t feel too good.”

With a road trip down and an NHL season to go, Ludvig knows that this is the nature of the industry. His father, Jan, appeared in over 300 games for several different NHL teams.

“It’s part of the business every year. Coming into camp just trying to put your best foot forward,” Ludvig said. “But things happen, and getting picked up here was a blessing for sure.”

The only negative of the move for Ludvig is that he’ll need to find some winter attire.

“I just called my mom about that,” he joked. “Hopefully she’ll send me some down from Canada because I only have T-shirts and shorts.”

Shea had more time to get situated than his new teammate, as he appeared in five of Pittsburgh’s six exhibition games during the preseason – partly because the Penguins coaching staff was trying to familiarize themselves with the defenseman, and partly because he was deserving of those opportunities.

“He's a real good solid defending defenseman,” Sullivan said. “He's got a real good stick, he has decent size, he can kill penalties. But he's also a guy that makes good solid passes. He sees the ice well. He has good puck skills. He's not just an off-the-glass and out guy. And we think he's another guy that's played well.”

Shea has been working hard to grow and develop since first turning professional in 2020 following four years of college hockey at Northeastern in his native Massachusetts. He found his way to the Dallas Stars organization, with whom he spent three seasons in the AHL.

“I think it's a little bit of a jump going from college to pro, and it allowed me to get stronger on and off the ice, just matured me,” Shea said. “I was with a lot of older guys down in Texas and obviously dealing with the guys up in Dallas, somewhat. I just thought it really built me as a player.”

Joining the Penguins from there was a decision that had been a long time coming. His contact with the organization dates back to his first free agency decision three years ago, when Shea narrowed it down to Pittsburgh and Dallas before ultimately heading south. While the timing may not have been right back then, Shea feels fortunate to have crossed paths with the Penguins again this summer.

“Everything they said to me over the summer, dealing with Kyle and the coaching staff after I signed, just seemed like the right fit and place to be,” he said. “It was a no-brainer for me, for sure.”

Once he arrived, Shea felt that the culture in Pittsburgh was a perfect fit for where he’s at in his career right now, sharing a position with generationally talented defensemen like Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.

“I mean, some of the stuff they do, I think I would hurt myself if I tried,” Shea joked. “I think I'm still at an age I can learn from them.”

Like Ludvig, Shea is willing to do whatever it takes to see time in Pittsburgh, whether it’s now or in the future.

“I'm just trying to be simple, trying to fit into that role,” he said. “Obviously, they have an incredible D corps. They got great players here, and it's a competitive group. So I'm just trying to do my part, trying to keep it simple, and gain the coaches’ trust on the ice so they can put me out there whenever.”