Ducks' Leo Carlsson: Second overall at 2023 Entry Draft

Carlsson was selected second overall by the Ducks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday.

Carlsson's dominant performance as Sweden's top-line center at the recent World Championships vaulted the skilled, cerebral playmaker into the "next-best" conversation for the 2023 class. It was his first time at pivot all season, and he looked like a natural. There have even been whispers that Carlsson could be the next Aleksander Barkov or Nicklas Backstrom. Or Mikko Rantanen if he ends up sticking on the wing, the spot he played for two seasons in the SEL. Carlsson's hockey sense and puck skills are next level, and it's easy to see him as a skilled, two-way, playmaking pivot with top-line upside in Anaheim for a long time. He's going to be an NHL and fantasy star, even with a shot that is still developing. Look out when he elevates that skill.