Player Discussion Leo Carlsson

[FiveTacos]

I definitely think Verbeek had a huge say in this pick if not the entire decision. If it goes as expected (Fantilli becomes a Tkachuk like superstar) this is what will finally/hopefully cost him his job.

If Carlsson pans out into the next Sundin or something and anchors the team for the next decade or more, will anyone really care how Michkov or Fantilli turn out? And what happens if Fantilli doesn't reach the heights projected for him? What will cost Verbeek his job is if Carlsson and his other moves bust.

In the end we're talking about projecting teenagers. I mean, what if Will Smith turns out better than any of these guys we were considering?

You just never know. "Hmm, should we take Turgeon or Shanahan #1" ... neither, you shoulda taken Joe Sakic who went 15th. But sorry you didn't have a magic crystal ball.

 

[Gliff]

Fair enough. So based on your experience, the media decided Zegras would be the cover athlete?

I never said Carlsson would get more hype then Fantilli, just that as soon as he went to the ducks he became underrated, more so than he would have been on most other teams.

No, the marketing and business people will.

It isn’t rocket science why Zegras was picked. He is marketable and average fans were seeing him on Twitter and ESPN.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Why in the world does anybody give a shit about Fantilli anymore? He's a nice kid and I hope he has a nice career. But he's not a Duck so who really cares what he does going forward? At some point in the future people can look back and make comparisons, but the angst shown about what Fantilli might do next year is beyond over the top.

 

[Leonardo87]

Why in the world does anybody give a shit about Fantilli anymore? He's a nice kid and I hope he has a nice career. But he's not a Duck so who really cares what he does going forward? At some point in the future people can look back and make comparisons, but the angst shown about what Fantilli might do next year is beyond over the top.

Not sure if you are referring to me, but have no issues with Fantilli, hope he has a great career. My issue is having to deal with the trolling of comments like "The Ducks F'd up" or "Verbeek should be fired for choosing, Leo" if Fantilli comes flying out of the box, which I think there is a good chance to happen, given who he will play with in Columbus. Heck, Fantilli could have went back to college if he was drafted by Anaheim. You never know what will happen, and where everyone's fate is supposed to land them, unless you are Bedard of course.

It becomes more interesting though, given the fact, the Ducks took Carlsson over Fantilli, especially with the media having Fantilli going 2ndOA and hyping him up so much. So as Ducks fans, we will always be reminded of that, as both players progress in their careers.

So, it's going to be very hard to not pay attention to what Fantilli does. I can speculate what will happen, and right out of the gate, think Fantilli is going to look like the better pick. But like you said, really need to give them time before making a fair comparison, but fans don't have the patient for that and are only worried about the present.

Now the question is should we care? All we really need to care about, is how good Leo can be for us. If he ends up being the next Getz and then some, can give a F what Fantilli does. But again, wish him well.

 

[Boxscore]

So as Ducks fans, we will always be reminded of that, as both players progress in their careers. So, it's going to be very hard to not pay attention to what Fantilli does.

This is just the reality. The Canadiens are going to do the same with Michkov. The difference with the Ducks is that Carlsson and Fantilli project to be fairly similar players -- both big, versatile, C who could play W forwards -- so their comps are much easier to evaluate than a two-way D vs. a dynamic, scoring W.

I think Fantilli comes scorching out of the gate. He's more refined now and will be stepping into a lineup with a ton of firepower and veteran producers. Carlsson will be eased in and developed the right way. The Ducks aren't finished building yet while the Jackets have entered "go time!"

We won't know the outcome of these guys for another 3-5 years but I absolutely love Carlsson as a player.

 

[lwvs84]

Fantilli will always be the guy that is constantly having his name called out and will be on all the highlights. He's going to be the guy that casual fans will follow more than Carlsson... but we already have a casual fan magnet in Zegras. Fantilli has the speed, goal scoring, and hitting, but Carlsson probably has the edge in everything else. If you look at the Ducks draft after Carlsson, they got lesser versions of Fantilli... guys with size, speed, physicality, and goal scoring. Carlsson is going to make the guys around him better, if we get a guy that can shoot on his wing and Terry/Zegras on the other, that 3rd forward is going to get a lot of open looks and 2 other natural playmakers that can find him.

I've only seen highlights of Carlsson (aside from a bit of WC), but anyone know if one of the reasons he doesn't hit much is because of the recent growth spurt and being an 18 year old against men? I know he'll probably never be a punishing hitter, but does he separate people from the puck with his body well?

On another note, I said it before we drafted him, but my girlfriend said that if we have a boy that I can name him Leo so here's here's hoping he's our next big super star player

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Not sure if you are referring to me, but have no issues with Fantilli, hope he has a great career. My issue is having to deal with the trolling of comments like "The Ducks F'd up" or "Verbeek should be fired for choosing, Leo" if Fantilli comes flying out of the box, which I think there is a good chance to happen, given who he will play with in Columbus. Heck, Fantilli could have went back to college if he was drafted by Anaheim. You never know what will happen, and where everyone's fate is supposed to land them, unless you are Bedard of course.

It becomes more interesting though, given the fact, the Ducks took Carlsson over Fantilli, especially with the media having Fantilli going 2ndOA and hyping him up so much. So as Ducks fans, we will always be reminded of that, as both players progress in their careers.

So, it's going to be very hard to not pay attention to what Fantilli does. I can speculate what will happen, and right out of the gate, think Fantilli is going to look like the better pick. But like you said, really need to give them time before making a fair comparison, but fans don't have the patient for that and are only worried about the present.

Now the question is should we care? All we really need to care about, is how good Leo can be for us. If he ends up being the next Getz and then some, can give a F what Fantilli does. But again, wish him well.

Not really referring to anybody in particular. Just see no need to waste electrons on him anymore. Rather focus on the ducks and how Carlsson helps us.

 

[squashmaple]

This is just the reality. The Canadiens are going to do the same with Michkov. The difference with the Ducks is that Carlsson and Fantilli project to be fairly similar players -- both big, versatile, C who could play W forwards -- so their comps are much easier to evaluate than a two-way D vs. a dynamic, scoring W.

I think Fantilli comes scorching out of the gate. He's more refined now and will be stepping into a lineup with a ton of firepower and veteran producers. Carlsson will be eased in and developed the right way. The Ducks aren't finished building yet while the Jackets have entered "go time!"

We won't know the outcome of these guys for another 3-5 years but I absolutely love Carlsson as a player.

I wanted Carlsson for Columbus. Nothing against Fantilli, but Carlsson is the one I wanted. I think in 5 years it'll be clear Carlsson was the better choice. This all reminds me too much of 2016 with Dubois and Puljujarvi (and I hope this year Columbus was right to take Fantilli instead of going with Smith, too). Ducks made the right choice.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Fantilli will always be the guy that is constantly having his name called out and will be on all the highlights. He's going to be the guy that casual fans will follow more than Carlsson... but we already have a casual fan magnet in Zegras. Fantilli has the speed, goal scoring, and hitting, but Carlsson probably has the edge in everything else. If you look at the Ducks draft after Carlsson, they got lesser versions of Fantilli... guys with size, speed, physicality, and goal scoring. Carlsson is going to make the guys around him better, if we get a guy that can shoot on his wing and Terry/Zegras on the other, that 3rd forward is going to get a lot of open looks and 2 other natural playmakers that can find him.

I've only seen highlights of Carlsson (aside from a bit of WC), but anyone know if one of the reasons he doesn't hit much is because of the recent growth spurt and being an 18 year old against men? I know he'll probably never be a punishing hitter, but does he separate people from the puck with his body well?

On another note, I said it before we drafted him, but my girlfriend said that if we have a boy that I can name him Leo so here's here's hoping he's our next big super star player

On this boards' WC thread, some posters were constantly bringing up Fantilli's lone goal to put team Canada into the gold medal game. That's what makes Fantilli better than Carlsson at the WC.

WC
Fantilli: 10 games, 1g + 2a = 3 pts (0.30 ppg), +3 rating, and shooting pct of 4.35% (1 out of 23)
Carlsson: 8 games, 3g + 2a = 5 pts (0.63 ppg), +5 rating, and SH% of 25% (3 out of 12)

It's weird. Carlsson had a better WC performance and he tied for first in goal scoring for Team Sweden. Because Carlsson isn't uber fast or flashy, his performance doesn't get love.

====

As for Carlsson using his body, he uses it often to either acquire puck possession or shield the puck when he's entering or exiting zones. In many scouting videos, they highlight that Carlsson will use his body first before trying to secure the puck. That reminded me of McTavish's play for his scouting videos. There's so many little things that aren't seen in a scoresheet that both McTavish and Carlsson do.

I have seen Carlsson lay out a couple of hard checks, but it's rare. He might do more hard checks when he fills out, but people forget he started this season as a 17-year old in a men's league. The SHL starts in early Sept. and Carlsson's b-day is on Dec 26th.

 

[Boxscore]

I wanted Carlsson for Columbus. Nothing against Fantilli, but Carlsson is the one I wanted. I think in 5 years it'll be clear Carlsson was the better choice. This all reminds me too much of 2016 with Dubois and Puljujarvi (and I hope this year Columbus was right to take Fantilli instead of going with Smith, too). Ducks made the right choice.

I agree, I think Carlsson was the perfect player for Columbus. Imho we're looking at this type of scenario:

E. Staal / Carter / Eichel (Fantilli)

vs.

Sundin / Kopitar / Barkov (Carlsson)

When it all shakes out.

 

[Bleak]

I think Leo is going to have an amazing SHL season and lead his team to a potentially deep run this year -- if he does go back. I am sure he doesn't take the noise of Fantilli vs himself to heart, but I wouldn't doubt he has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and wants to show the world why he was picked #2. Dudes a beast and a competitor. I cannot wait to see his D+1 / D+2 years. I'm going to try and watch some SHL games given the chance!

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

I wanted Carlsson for Columbus. Nothing against Fantilli, but Carlsson is the one I wanted. I think in 5 years it'll be clear Carlsson was the better choice. This all reminds me too much of 2016 with Dubois and Puljujarvi (and I hope this year Columbus was right to take Fantilli instead of going with Smith, too). Ducks made the right choice.

You should get over it, too. You got a good player, enjoy that.

 

[Vipers31]

I think at this folks are downplaying Leo‘s flashiness with the puck compared to Fantilli, which seems mostly based on that one deke in the WC and a Michigan in prospect camp. When looking at these guys‘ compilations for the year, I didn’t see Fantilli as some kind of Zegras-like creative guy. He has the speed, so if everything goes right there’s this chance for a MacKinnon type, but that’s a long way away and Carlsson isn’t all IQ and vision, either, he’s got some moves.

 

[Bleak]

I think at this folks are downplaying Leo‘s flashiness with the puck compared to Fantilli, which seems mostly based on that one deke in the WC and a Michigan in prospect camp. When looking at these guys‘ compilations for the year, I didn’t see Fantilli as some kind of Zegras-like creative guy. He has the speed, so if everything goes right there’s this chance for a MacKinnon type, but that’s a long way away and Carlsson isn’t all IQ and vision, either, he’s got some moves.

Okay, so when we lost the lottery I binged Fantilli highlights and noticed this too! I wasn't as excited for the pick as others because he didn't seem very dynamic in my eye. I just kinda followed the flow of the consensus and accepted that this was our guy. A week or two before the draft I looked a Carlsson's highlights and thought to myself I wouldn't hate this pick over Fantilli if it came to it because of his playstyle.


I didn't care which one we picked because whoever it was, they would be our guy

 

[Kalv]

...

I've only seen highlights of Carlsson (aside from a bit of WC), but anyone know if one of the reasons he doesn't hit much is because of the recent growth spurt and being an 18 year old against men? I know he'll probably never be a punishing hitter, but does he separate people from the puck with his body well?

On another note, I said it before we drafted him, but my girlfriend said that if we have a boy that I can name him Leo so here's here's hoping he's our next big super star player

Idk, but check the first shift in this clip:
That's almost a year ago against grown men. It's true he's not as punishing as Fantilli, few players are, but it seems he might not end up completely soft after all.

Also, I think Leo is a great name for a baby boy.

Also also, this was interesting. Check at the end, Nate seems big fan of Carlsson. I guess he did not see the 3v3 July scrimmage but oh well he has SOME knowledge of the game, right?

 

[Sean Garrity]

Idk, but check the first shift in this clip:
That's almost a year ago against grown men. It's true he's not as punishing as Fantilli, few players are, but it seems he might not end up completely soft after all.

Also, I think Leo is a great name for a baby boy.

Also also, this was interesting. Check at the end, Nate seems big fan of Carlsson. I guess he did not see the 3v3 July scrimmage but oh well he has SOME knowledge of the game, right?

I don’t need nor want my future #1 center to be punishing. I hated when Getzlaf had to fight, PK and block shots because of lack of options. Not that Getzlaf couldn’t and of course Situationally I don’t mind it, but in my mind I pay my #1 center to put the puck in the net or give significant help getting the puck in the net. I don’t pay them to hit, fight, kill penalties, etc. You can find those skills from lesser players.

From my albeit limited view of Leo, what I’ve seen is he already knows how to use his frame against men and as he continues to grow that frame it will become more effective and potentially enhanced in to more body contact to separate players from the puck.

 

[Leonardo87]

Some mic'd up reactions when Leo was selected...

 

[ScarTroy]

Some mic'd up reactions when Leo was selected...

Whoever made that Bedard comment is a gem

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

I don’t need nor want my future #1 center to be punishing. I hated when Getzlaf had to fight, PK and block shots because of lack of options. Not that Getzlaf couldn’t and of course Situationally I don’t mind it, but in my mind I pay my #1 center to put the puck in the net or give significant help getting the puck in the net. I don’t pay them to hit, fight, kill penalties, etc. You can find those skills from lesser players.

From my albeit limited view of Leo, what I’ve seen is he already knows how to use his frame against men and as he continues to grow that frame it will become more effective and potentially enhanced in to more body contact to separate players from the puck.

It's like McIlvane said in the clip from prospect camp - with his frame, all he needs to do is get in the way of people and it will disrupt plays enough to be effective.

 

[AngelDuck]

I definitely have some concerns thay he’ll be a Dylan Strome or Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Sure hope I’m wrong

 

[lwvs84]

I don’t need nor want my future #1 center to be punishing. I hated when Getzlaf had to fight, PK and block shots because of lack of options. Not that Getzlaf couldn’t and of course Situationally I don’t mind it, but in my mind I pay my #1 center to put the puck in the net or give significant help getting the puck in the net. I don’t pay them to hit, fight, kill penalties, etc. You can find those skills from lesser players.

From my albeit limited view of Leo, what I’ve seen is he already knows how to use his frame against men and as he continues to grow that frame it will become more effective and potentially enhanced in to more body contact to separate players from the puck.

I'm fine with it if he uses size to separate players and not drop the gloves/lay punishing hits. That's going to wear down his body quicker, leave that to role players. But he has size, he'll hopefully be more than a pure finesse player.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Obviously these kids are well-caoched, but watching that video i didn't get the feeling that Fantilli was relieved when the Ducks didn't pick him.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Obviously these kids are well-caoched, but watching that video i didn't get the feeling that Fantilli was relieved when the Ducks didn't pick him.

He actually looked disappointed yeah. He is good friends with Zegras and Drysdale so if he was drafted by Anaheim he'd probably be talking about how excited he is to play with his friends while with Columbus its about playing with his michigan state buddies.

 

[Mr Rogers]

He actually looked disappointed yeah. He is good friends with Zegras and Drysdale so if he was drafted by Anaheim he'd probably be talking about how excited he is to play with his friends while with Columbus its about playing with his michigan state buddies.

I fully believe he's perfectly happy in columbus but i don't buy the narrative that he strongly preferred it over the Ducks

 

[TopShelfWaterBottle]

Can’t wait till hockey season where I can wear s a hoodie all day and night