Four players, facing off. A quartet of Ducks will play for a chance at a gold medal at this year's World Championship semi-finals in Stockholm, Sweden. Leo Carlsson and Isac Lundeström from Team Sweden will face-off against Cutter Gauthier and Jackson LaCombe of Team USA.

In eight games, Carlsson has eight points. On Thursday, he scored two goals in Sweden's 5-2 win over Czechia to help send them to the semi-final. Though Carlsson spent most of the preliminary matches playing with Lundeström and the Detroit Red Wings' Lucas Raymond, his linemates on Thursday were the Minnesota Wild's Marcus Johansson and the New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad assisted on both of Carlsson's goals in the win against Czechia, providing a secondary assist on the first and a delightful drop pass on the second.

"He's got a lot of attributes that will make him a very good player for a very long time," Zibanejad said of Carlsson earlier this year. "He's so young and the success that he's already had... Just the way he plays, I think he's really smart. He's tall, but he's still very shifty in his (own) way."

Not to be outdone, Gauthier also has eight points in eight games. Like Carlsson, he too has four goals and four assists and has provided a dangerous option for the Americans to utilize on the power play from the right flank. Gauthier has moved up and down the USA lineup, playing with various teammates. He and former Boston College teammate Will Smith have been tied at the hip, with the pair listed on the same projected line for each of Team USA's matches thus far. It's no surprise that Smith has assisted on all of Gauthier's goals but one. Gauthier has displayed both his lethal shot and playmaking ability, using his vision to find seams in the opposing goaltender and the defense in front of him.

Off the back of his breakout season in Anaheim, LaCombe has the second-highest time on ice for Team USA behind Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski. LaCombe has provided three points––including a seeing-eye shot for his sole goal––in eight games while playing primarily on his off-side. He's been such a reliable player for head coach Ryan Warsofsky that he's continued to play top pair minutes even after Werenski's addition to the squad on May 13.

As mentioned previously, Lundeström played most of the preliminary matches alongside Carlsson and Raymond as a winger. Against Czechia, he was back down the middle, centering the Montréal Canadiens' Emil Heineman and the San Jose Sharks' Alexander Wennberg on the fourth line. A player who has been mostly relegated to defensive duties and a bottom-6 role throughout his NHL career, Lundeström has contributed offensively with four points in eight games during the 2025 Worlds. It can be argued that he is simply the beneficiary of high-quality offense from talented teammates, but you still have to be in the right spots.

"I try to play simple and stay on goal sometimes and give them space," Lundeström said in an interview with hockeysverige.se (translated from Swedish). "I know they are good when they get time to move around in the offensive zone, so I try to help them as much as possible. I think it has worked out well."

Lundeström's appearance at Worlds is also an opportunity to showcase himself. He is currently out of contract, though the Ducks have until late June to decide whether or not to extend a qualifying offer to him. The late-season addition of Tim Washe, an NCAA champion and experienced faceoff taker at the collegiate level, could signal the end of Lundeström's tenure with the Ducks if they feel that Washe can adequately replace the Swedish forward.

"I know I have it in me, and when you get the chance with good players, it is clear that it becomes easier to score a few points here and there and at the same time be hard to play against," Lundeström said. "I hope I can contribute with everything possible, but I hope I can fight a little in front of goal and give a little space as much as possible. And bring offense, too, of course."

Team Sweden and Team USA will face one another on Saturday, May 24 at 5:20 a.m. PST. The winner will advance to the gold medal game and face the winner of Switzerland-Denmark on Sunday, May 25 at 11:20 a.m. PST.

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