Ludvig Andersson

Ludvig Andersson
Rankings
Other THW Profiles
NHL Draft Projection
Quotables
Strengths
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
NHL Potential
Awards/Achievements
Statistics
Videos

2025-26 Team: Örebro HK (SHL)
Date of Birth: May 24, 2008
Place of Birth: Örebro, Sweden
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Center/Right Winger
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings: 42nd (among EU skaters)
Baracchini’s March Top 96 (THW): 80th

Ludvig Andersson is a very well-balanced forward. He’s a young small forward who has a lot of room to grow and the mindset, intensity, and intelligence to grow. He showed a lot of his attributes at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.

He’s very talented with his stick. He’s able to disrupt passing lanes, even though he doesn’t have a great reach. He works well in small areas, winning puck battles in the corner, and he chooses lanes well. He has great awareness in his own zone.

Offensively, he’s just as good. He’s a powerful skater, giving him enough speed to drive to the net. He handles the puck well, and his awareness is good enough to find other forwards to finish off the play. He’s not afraid to rely on his shot either.

For his size, he’s also surprisingly strong. He’s able to maneuver towards the net pretty well, and when he’s there, it’s hard to move him. He’s great physically, too, giving him potential to be a good bottom-six forward right off the bat.

The flaws in his game come from his aggressive mindset. With his willingness to jump passing lanes, he’ll become too over-aggressive with his stick. That could result in tripping penalties.

Also, there are concerns about holding onto the puck too long. Sometimes he’ll try to force offense, which can lead to turnovers against NHL defenders.

Despite that, the two-way instincts should make him a very coveted asset. Andersson’s game profiles like a Yanni Gourde-type of winger. I don’t know if he’ll be used in faceoffs as much, but Andersson could be on both special teams. Similar to Gourde, Andersson wins by being smarter and mentally tougher than the opposition.

Other THW Profiles

NHL Draft Projection

Andersson had great numbers with Örebro HK’s U20 Team, earning 42 points through 31 games. That might’ve brought his draft stock higher than prior mock drafts. I think he could go in the mid-third round, even though most have him going from late third to early fifth.

The Detroit Red Wings would be a decent place for him. Even though they have plenty of center depth, they could use a guy like him to anchor the bottom six. Steve Yzerman loves his small forwards.

The Tampa Bay Lightning could use him, too, since Gourde is his draft comparable. The New York Islanders are lined with tough-to-play-against forwards, so Andersson would mold well in that culture, too.

Quotables

“Andersson may only stand 5’11”, but he is stocky and uncommonly strong; he reminds me a bit of Mike Peca for his penchant for hitting like a freight train, as well as his attention to playing sound defense. He’s a high-motor, high-energy, high-compete player with a relentless work-ethic and the grit to engage physically, and grind it out along the boards. A defensive specialist with attention to detail, he hunts down pucks doggedly, erases time and space, picks pockets, puts his body on the line to block shots, and is generally a frustrating player to go up against with how he is always in his opponents’ faces to apply pressure.” — Upside Hockey

“Ludvig Andersson is a two-way forward with both speed and physicality, qualities he displayed during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Skating with a low center of gravity, he does an excellent job of generating pressure around the opposition’s net.” — Jacob Smeds, The Hockey News

Strengths

Very strong player in his frame. Hard to knock off his spot, and his strength leads to great physicality.
Heady player. Great awareness defensively and offensively.
Solid with the puck on his stick. Good at maneuvering into the shot and crashing the net.
Very active stick defensively, trying to jump passing lanes and disrupt scoring chances.
Has a good shot and uses screens wisely with it.

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

Not a burner, which can dock him with his tiny frame.
Can hold onto the puck too long, leading to turnovers.
Sometimes tries to do too much with the puck on his stick.

NHL Potential

With his physical style of play and his two-way instincts, Andersson should fit right in with a bottom-six of a team once he makes it to the NHL. However, he probably needs a season or two in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) to give me confidence in him making it. Expect his debut to be somewhere closer to 2028 or 2029.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5, Reward: 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 6/10, Defense: 7/10