Carlsson's game, status growing ahead of 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft is scheduled to be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28-29. Every two weeks, NHL.com will take a closer look at some of the draft-eligible players to watch.

Leo Carlsson went from average-sized playmaker to slick-moving power forward in a single summer.
"For years, I was always one of the smaller-to-average-sized players on the ice," Carlsson said. "Finally in the summer of 2020, when I was 15 years old, I spurted up from 5-foot-7 to 6-foot-2 and have added an inch since then. My father is a big man who was a late bloomer like me, so at some point I knew would grow."
The left-shot center (6-3, 198 pounds), an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, has done just that.
"Leo is a brilliant skater, but he's more a subtle, brilliant skater," TSN director of scouting and NHL analyst Craig Button said. "He gets speed up and can slow down with the way he moves in tight areas to create space for himself. He really keeps defenders on their heels because you never know if he's going to pull up to make a play or if he's going to go behind you to make a play."
A projected top-5 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson offers power and skill and has impressed in his second season with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League, the top professional men's league in Sweden.
"I'm a big, strong player who sees the ice well and uses my size to have the puck a lot, while making plays and creating scoring chances for myself and my teammates," Carlsson said. "At a young age, I was always very quick and fast. As I got older, I began to enjoy my intensive off-ice training and that has helped me to get even faster and quicker, especially in the corners and tight situations."
The 17-year-old who was born in Karlstad, Sweden, has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists), two power-play goals, 25 shots on goal and nine hits while averaging 15:26 of ice time in 21 games this season. He plays right wing in a top-nine role on a line with Mattias Bromé (six goals, eight assists) and Rodrigo Abols (five goals, four assists). Carlsson had three goals, nine points, and averaged 11:14 in 35 games with Orebro in 2021-22.
"Playing last season helped me learn the SHL and, this year, I have a lot more confidence and am playing a bigger role," he said. "I gained strength and speed training this summer, so the game feels easier and more fun for me."

Carlsson had two goals and an assist in two games to help Sweden win gold at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship in Germany in May.
Carlsson has always been a fan of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby but is also an admirer of two of the NHL's top power forwards in Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings.
"I like to watch Auston Matthews because he's very smooth and smart with a great shot," Carlsson said. "People say my game is similar to Anze Kopitar, which is a great compliment because he's a leader who has won two Stanley Cups ... and that's my goal.
"Crosby's skill and competitiveness are impressive, and (Penguins teammate) Evgeni Malkin is a big man, like me who protects the puck well and makes plays. Both of them are great players and winners."
Carlsson is looking forward to the 2023 draft but knows nothing is guaranteed. He hasn't paid too much attention to many of the other top draft-eligible skaters, including Connor Bedard of Regina in the Western Hockey League, Adam Fantilli of the University of Michigan or Matvei Michkov of SKA-Neva St. Petersburg in Russia's second division.
"Besides a few highlights on social media, I have not seen them play so I cannot compare them," Carlsson said. "I am sure they are all great players. My focus is on my team winning games and improving myself every day on and off the ice.
"Obviously I would like to be one of the top picks in the draft, but my focus is on my team and my own game."

PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR (listed alphabetically):

Jaden Lipinski (6-3, 208), C, Vancouver (WHL):Lipinski, who turned 18 on Friday, ranks fifth on his team with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists), is second in power-play goals (four) and tied for first with two other players in game-winning goals (two) in 24 games. The right-hand shot is also second on the team in face-off winning percentage (52.6; 169-for-321).
"He's a second-year player in the WHL now, out of (Scottsdale) Arizona, and you can see he spent the summer working on the things he needed to, entering this season," said John Williams of NHL Central Scouting. "He's got good size, good hands and is smart on both sides of the puck. He has good details to his game."
Luca Pinelli (5-9, 165), C, Ottawa (OHL): The 17-year-old leads the 67's with 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) and six power-play goals in 23 games. Pinelli is a left-handed shot who can play wing or center, has good hockey IQ and excels at reading and reacting on the ice. Francesco Pinelli, Luca's brother, was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (No. 42) of the 2021 NHL Draft and currently serves as captain of Kitchener (OHL).
Jakub Stancl (6-3, 201), LW, Vaxjo Jr. (SWE): The 17-year-old was born in the Czech Republic but plays in the Swedish junior league and for the Czechia Under-18 national team. A power forward who was upgraded to a B rating on the PTW list, Stancl has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 22 games with Vaxjo's junior team. He has no points in three games with Vaxjo of the Swedish Hockey League.
"He's got smooth hands, handles the puck well in traffic and is effective in battles using his size, strength and reach," said Goran Stubb, NHL director of European Scouting. "He's got good stick work, likes to go for the net and makes smart, good decisions on ice."
PHOTOS:Örebro Hockey, SHL