Carlsson selected by Ducks with No. 2 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

NASHVILLE --There was no way Leo Carlsson was going to miss hearing his name called when the Anaheim Ducks selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday.

Because of weather and flight delays in the New York area the previous few days, there were no connections to Nashville available after the 18-year-old center and his family arrived on a flight from Stockholm.

So they drove instead, in "some sort of minivan for 13, 14 hours," he said. "A long drive.

"We got here 7 a.m. yesterday and left like, 6 a.m. the day before. I think maybe five stops."

The Ducks surely believe Carlsson's trek was worth the wait. He has been No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's ranking of International skaters presented by BioSteel all season and was named Swedish junior hockey player of the year after he had 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 44 games for Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League this season.

There was plenty of intrigue prior to the draft regarding whether Carlsson or University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli would be chosen No. 2 after the Chicago Blackhawks, as expected, selected Regina center Connor Bedard. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said there were several factors that made Carlsson the pick for Anaheim.

"I think in the end, we were really intrigued with his hockey IQ, his creativity," Verbeek said. "Obviously he's got really good size and probably what I loved about him is really his two-way game, and I think there's a potential for him to really be a dominant player at both ends of the ice."

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Verbeek said Anaheim will take its time assessing where Carlsson (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) will play next season.

"Well, we're going to go through that process," he said, "because obviously he'll be able to go back to Sweden, he can play juniors, [the IIHF] World Junior Championship, so we'll start with going through development camp, we'll get through that, so it will be a summerlong discussion."

Carlsson said after Chicago chose Bedard, "it was kind of 50-50 there" as to whether he thought he'd go to Anaheim, but that "I didn't want to think too high. I could have gone like, five as well, so was kind of hard to think about. But now, it's awesome."

He said he was optimistic after meeting with Verbeek prior to the draft and promised the Ducks they'd be getting a well-rounded player.

"Offensive game and defensive game," Carlsson said. "A big centerman with some great hockey IQ. It's going to be fun."

Carlsson said he models his game after several players with sizable reputations: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen.

"Big offensive guys," he said.

Carlsson, the seventh Sweden-born player chosen among the top three in an NHL Draft, also has become a respected spokesperson for those with a stutter, something he has dealt with since he was young. He said he never was picked on growing up because of his stutter, in large part because of his hockey skill, but understands not all kids will have it as easy as he did. He said he'll speak with those with similar speech impediments to show his support.

"My advice is just to keep calm," he said. "When you're talking, just be calm actually. That's the most important thing I think."

Orebro coach Johan Hedberg said seeing Carlsson openly discuss his stutter, and do it in English, has been as impressive as anything the center has done on the ice.

"Just being that secure in yourself at that young age, I think, is awesome," Hedberg said. "... He's a role model for sure, and someone that can really help other people in the same situation. There's so many different things that young kids today have to deal with, social media and all that. Having someone to help out in these areas, I think it's awesome."

Fantilli, selected No. 3 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, said he's a Carlsson fan.

"There's a lot of phenomenal hockey players in this draft and a lot of guys who deserve to go as high as they possibly can," said Fantilli, who had 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) this season as a freshman at Michigan and won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in NCAA men's ice hockey. "Leo's a [heck] of a hockey player, he's a great kid and I wish him the absolute best. Getting to know him was awesome in [Las] Vegas (during the Stanley Cup Final) and at the [NHL Scouting] Combine ... so I'm pumped for him."

For his part, Fantilli (6-2, 195) said he was "over the moon" to be chosen by the Blue Jackets, and the 18-year-old will join three players on the Columbus roster who played at Michigan: defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Zach Werenski, and center Kent Johnson.

"I mean, having familiar faces is always helpful to transition, and being able to meet those guys and getting to know them a little better is going to be really helpful," he said.

"It's close to home (Nobleton, Ontario), it's a great fit and I felt it would be the right spot."

And a lot shorter drive than what Carlsson had to make.

NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman and staff writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report