High praise for the Ducks draft pick!
The Anaheim Ducks took a step forward in their full team rebuild Wednesday night as they selected center Leo Carlsson with the second overall pick. It was a surprise to some but Anaheim was focused on the Swedish player all along.
He impressed them with his size and ability to play both sides of the ice. It also didn't hurt his chances with the Ducks that he has experience playing in a professional league against grown men and held his own. The 18-year-old still has a way to go in growing his game but this pick is a slam dunk for Anaheim.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic seems Carlsson as a future NHL All-Star level of player.
-"In Carlsson, Anaheim gets a dynamic playmaking center with size, a player with the high-end skill and hockey sense to be a big-time offensive contributor in the NHL."
Anaheim clearly is trying to build a big and nasty frontline with Carlsson, Mason McTavish and former first rounder Nathan Gaucher. It was a strategy that worked for them the last time the team was in contention for the Stanley Cup when Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler were leading the charge.
Carlsson can be the cornerstone for the Ducks going forward and this pick signals the first chance to relevancy in awhile for Anaheim. The franchise has missed the playoffs in each of the last five seasons so getting back to the postseason is the first goal of this team.
It may not be next year as the Ducks still have a ways to go but this is a step in the right direction. If Carlsson can progress into the type of player that Anaheim sees him as, the Ducks could be contending for the Stanley Cup sooner rather than later.