Player Discussion Leo Carlsson

[Mr Rogers]

I worry about injuries with Leo. I expect him to be around 0.75 ppg but could see him above or slightly below.

 

[Gliff]

Just because you are big doesn't mean you need to play physical to take advantage of your size.

 

[HanSolo]

One difference for me between Carlsson and Sennecke is that, despite being a twig, Beckett already seems confident and willing to throw his body around.

The worry I have with Leo is that, even if he fills out, convincing him to be physical might be like convincing Getz to shoot more. I just think it's hard to get a player to think that way when they're already 23/24.

That said I don't think he needs to be a very physical player to be successful, just a little bit might go a long way for him.

I have a slightly differing take. Pre and post draft I've always been somewhat impressed by Carlsson' s relative strength with possession of the puck given his frame. In the SHL and the WC he was a lot harder to knock off the puck than you'd expect from a guy his age with his frame. That became less of a factor in the NHL as bigger and stronger guys were knocking him off his skates but he still has a fair number of moments where he can keep his balance and possession under physical pressure.

I think there's a difference, in taking about being physical between a guy who will be physically capable to bull his way through physical pressure and a guy who uses his size to throw the body around. Someone like Getzlaf was able to and often did both. But all you'd really want and need from Carlsson is the former, utilizing the mass he still has room to build to create and maintain separation for himself to find space where necessary or bull his way past pressure where the space isn't there. I see no reason why Leo can't eventually get to that point unless he's lazy in the weight room.