Ducks' Carlsson Receives Praise Following 4 Nations Selection

Leo Carlsson was selected to Sweden's 4 Nations Face-off roster on Dec. 4. as the only Anaheim Ducks player represented at the tournament and the youngest player on any of the four rosters by a two-year and 126-day margin.

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The Ducks selected Carlsson with the second-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and he's still yet to play 82 games in his NHL career.

This season, he has produced six goals and five points in 23 games and has 40 points in 78 career games.

His impact extends far beyond the scoresheet as he's possibly the most effective 200-foot player on the Ducks roster.

His puck control at the speed he plays is a separating factor for him, as is his attention to detail and willingness to get pucks to high-danger areas by any means necessary.

"It means a lot. I didn't have any expectations going into the season," Carlsson said after he was selected to represent his country in February. "I'm super excited to be competing against the best players in the world and playing with some guys that I looked up to growing up."

Sweden will be anchored by veteran players like Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson on their blueline. Leo Carlsson was four years old when they made their NHL debuts in Oct. 2009.

"I called my dad. He didn't answer. Then I called my mom and brother," Carlsson said when asked what the first thing he did was when he found out.

Carlsson will represent Sweden for the first time since the 2023 World Championship, where he scored five points in eight games just one month before he was drafted.

“He deserves to make the team. Not because he’s young, because he’s a heck of a player," Sweden general Manager Josef Boumedienne said when asked about Carlsson. "He’s one of the best play drivers in the NHL throughout the neutral zone, the way he carries the puck, the way he distributes the puck. He had a huge summer as far as developing strength and power. I think Anaheim did a really good job with him last year, sitting him out some games to work on the physical aspect. He’s not on the team because he’s young, he’s on the team because he deserves to be on the team.”

During the 2023 World Championship, Carlsson played with Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren.

"Leo's a really good young player and has a lot of upside to his game," Raymond said. "(He's) big, strong, a good skater, and good vision, so I enjoyed playing with him, and he's a good player.

"I think he'll just continue to get better with the more games he plays and the experience he gets. He's developing into his body so well; it's fun to see."

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"I think everyone sees how skillful he is on the ice. I played some games with him, and he's an easy guy to play with, so skillful and fast, the playmaking," Berggren said. "It was fun to play with him.

"I think playmaking is his biggest strength. When he gets the puck with speed, he's so fast and hard to stop. He uses his body so well to protect the puck. Overall, just a good, skillful player."

Carlsson returned to the Ducks lineup on Dec. 11 against the Ottawa Senators after missing just over two weeks with an upper-body injury suffered on Nov. 25 against the Seattle Kraken.

"He's a young guy, and getting to play for Sweden is really big," Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom said of his teammate and fellow countryman. "I'm really glad for him and excited to watch him out there."

"Any time you get to represent your country, it's something that all kids dream of doing," said Ducks forward Troy Terry. "For Leo, it will be a great experience just to be around guys like (Victor) Hedman, (Erik) Karlsson, and these Swedish guys that have been in the NHL for a long time. We're all really proud of him.

"He just seems more confident this year, and he looks stronger. He's always been dynamic and can skate the puck, but I think he's showing that more consistently game to game."

Carlsson has been held off the scoresheet since his return to the lineup, but his injection in the locker room and on the ice relieves pressure off his teammates and makes it tougher on opponents to match up with the team on a nightly basis.

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"It's awesome for him. Everyone's really proud and excited for him to get that opportunity," Ducks forward Mason McTavish said. "It's always an honor to wear your nation's colors on the ice, so I'm sure he's going to enjoy it, and I'm really looking forward to watching him and seeing how he does.

"He's more comfortable and more confident with the puck. I mean, he was awesome last year, but he's taken a bit more of a step, and he's just more comfortable with the guys, so I think that helps a lot. He's an awesome player."

Carlsson remains the youngest player on the Ducks roster, a roster that features eight players 23 years old or younger.

"It's huge. I'm super happy for Leo. He's had a great start to the season, and he's a great buddy of mine," Ducks rookie forward Cutter Gauthier said. "Not a lot of 19-year-olds make a team like that, so I'm super happy for him. That's a big accomplishment.

"Every time you represent your country, it's a huge honor, no matter where it is or what level. You put on that jersey, and it's just a different type of pride.

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"He's super skilled, long, fast, and has a great hockey IQ," Gauthier continued. "He makes passes that not a lot of people can make. He's a student of the game, and he's going to be something really special for us.

"As a person, he's a great guy. He doesn't have too bad of a language barrier. He comes into the rink every single day with a smile on his face, and he's an awesome guy to talk to."

The Ducks sit in last place in the Pacific Division and 28th (27th if sorted by points percentage) in the NHL league standings.

They'll hope to remain close to the .500 mark and near relevancy as they'll face a tough schedule to close out the calendar year with upcoming games against the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Utah Hockey Club, Vegas Golden Knights, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.

"How can you not feel a confidence boost? I mean, he's 19, for God's sake, and he's put on a team with the best players in the world," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. "If I'm him and I'm waking up with that news, I'm thinking, 'damn, I'm a pretty good hockey player.'

"It's inspiring, so now go be one of the best players in the world. Your standard is higher."

The 4 Nations Face-Off is a seven-game tournament that will take the place of a traditional NHL All-Star Weekend and will occur between Feb. 12 and Feb. 25 in Boston, Mass, and Montreal, QC. The tournament will feature the top players from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.

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