There's a new Duckling on the pond in Anaheim, and his name is Leo Carlsson.
The Ducks officially nabbed the Swedish center with the second pick in the 2023 NHL Draft Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, making him just the third No. 2 overall selection in franchise history.
Carlsson, who shortly after his selection unveiled the club's throwback-inspired 30th Anniversary jersey, immediately becomes one of the premier players in Anaheim's already deep prospect pool and, alongside Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish, could help give the Ducks enviable center depth for years to come.
"Leo has tremendous hockey IQ with the potential to dominate at both ends of the ice," General Manager Pat Verbeek said. "His size, creativity, strength and skill was evident when we watched him play in Sweden against professionals. With our long-term plan to build a perennial contender, we believe he projects incredibly well for what we are building. We are thrilled to add him to our stable of elite prospects."
"I have waited my whole life for this moment," Carlsson said after leaving the stage. "I'm just super excited for this and the future."
That moment got off to a rocky start this week, as Carlsson and his family had their flight from Newark, NJ cancelled over bad weather. So the family decided to load up into a minivan and drive 14 hours throughout the night to Tennessee, ensuring Carlsson would be there for the big night on Broadway.
"I just got my driver's license two weeks ago so I didn't do any driving," Carlsson quipped. "First time driving and it was in the U.S.? Not going to happen."
"We wanted to keep everyone safe at that point," his father, Kenneth, added through a hearty laugh.
Regardless of who was behind the wheel, Carlsson got to Nashville safe and sound, and he didn't have to wait much longer for his big moment.
"It was so amazing, like a dream," Kenneth said of hearing his son's name called. "Our whole family was just open mouth, a wow feeling."
Carlsson now joins the Ducks as one of the most accomplished draft-eligible players in Swedish Hockey League history. The 6-2, 194 lb. pivotman earned the SHL's Junior Player of the Year award last season after leading all junior skaters in points (10-15=25) and assists.
Even more impressive, his 25 points were the fifth-most by a draft-eligible SHLer, trailing only Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Elias Lindholm and Nicklas Backstrom, a quartet with 4,476 games of NHL experience on their collective resumes.
"We are excited about his high hockey IQ and his creativity," Verbeek said. "I think he has a really nice combination of being able to make other players around him better and provide offense not only from a playmaking standpoint but also goal scoring as well.
"There's a lot more upside for him to get stronger and become a bigger, stronger player. I think that's exciting in and of itself."
A responsible two-way forward with vision and touch, Carlsson may never lead the NHL in scoring but Ducks brass instead hopes he could become one of the most complete players in the game, a true first-line center with the ability to heavily impact the game on both ends. He cited Evgeni Malkin, Mikko Rantanen and Anze Kopitar as players he models his game after.
"The defensive zone is so important," Carlsson said. "It's great to be good offensively but you can't just be good at the one [end of the ice]. I think it's important for your team and coach trusting you, being good on that side."
Carlsson has played on the wing for the bulk of his professional career in Sweden, common for teenage prospects still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the pro game, but says he seems himself as a center long term.
"What put him over the top probably was watching him play center at the World Championships for the men's team in a No. 1 center position," Verbeek said. "I was really taken aback by his two-way game...We're excited for the potential for him to not only be a dominant player in the offensive zone but the defensive zone as well."
"I think I play the best at center, but I can prove myself on the wing as well," Carlsson said. "You do get more speed at wing, but I think my natural position is center, and I think that's where I'm [at my] best."
The son of a former professional hockey player, Carlsson plays like someone who has been around the game his whole life and embodies many of the personal characteristics Verbeek has publicly claimed to be searching for, one of those being a burning desire to improve.
"My dad was my coach for 10 years," Carlsson said through a big smile. "He has supported me in my hockey life all the way, and in my normal life of course...All the training, all the ice time and off-ice training, he supported me."
He acknowledged he has room for development in his game, saying, "I want to work on my first three steps while skating. When I get up to speed, I'm pretty fast I think, but the explosiveness and shooting more are [areas I'm working on]."
But maybe the most impressive part of Carlsson's draft profile is his maturity and graciousness throughout one of the biggest nights of his life. In meeting him, it was really quite easy to forget that he had just become the sixth Swedish player ever to become a top-two draft pick, something that makes Kenneth more proud than any other accomplishment.
"He is a very kind person, he's calm and he loves other people," Kenneth said. "He cares about other people. The Anaheim family is going to notice that very fast."
Carlsson talks about being take second overall
"There's a really quiet humbleness about him, but there's also a really fierce competitor underneath that humble persona," Verbeek added.
Carlsson will report to Southern California for the first time next week, joining his new teammates and Anaheim's Day 2 selections for Development Camp at Great Park Ice.
"It's so exciting," Carlsson said. "The are so many great young guys there that have a great future. The Ducks have a great future. It's exciting to join them."
