Paul Ludwinski is a playmaking forward who plays with a high motor and tenacity on the forecheck. His two key attributes are his ability to facilitate for his team when he’s in possession of the puck and his ability to put pressure on the opponents when he’s not. He is constantly pushing the pace of play, battling hard for loose pucks and fighting for the positional advantage despite having a smaller frame. His playmaking is high-end, whether it be a quick one-touch pass in transition or a cross-ice pass through traffic to spring teammate on a rush. He shows the ability to make any pass on the ice. He’s not an elite defensive player but he shows good positional discipline in his own zone and an awareness of where his assignment is most of the time. He’s no shutdown forward, but his coaches will feel comfortable putting him out there knowing he won’t make crucial mistakes at critical times in his own zone. Size and strengths are his two biggest drawbacks. While he’s a tenacious player who loves to engage in puck battles, he tends to get himself caught up in the fight too often. He struggles to pull himself out of the battle even though the puck is long gone. He will need to learn when to break away and open himself up as an outlet, or to get back on the backcheck. He struggles with puck protection, as opponents can knock him off stride a little too easily. Adding some weight to his frame should help this improve drastically. He has the skillset and versatility to play both the wing and down the middle, and play at both even-strength and special teams minutes. Ludwinski can comfortably play on the second or third line and play his role effectively at the next level, making him a versatile and interesting option.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide