Player Discussion Leo Carlsson

[Crede777]

CBJ fan here - I was hoping we'd get Carlsson so congrats Ducks fans.

6'3" monster with elite vision and passing. What Jumbo Joe did for San Jose, Carlsson will be doing for you guys for the foreseeable future.

 

[Arthuros]

I wonder who Carlsson will develop chemistry with. If they picked him because he has the ability to be a C at the NHL level, it probably implies one of Z or McTavish going to the wing (and I'm leaning towards McT because Z at wing was not great).

CBJ fan here - I was hoping we'd get Carlsson so congrats Ducks fans.

6'3" monster with elite vision and passing. What Jumbo Joe did for San Jose, Carlsson will be doing for you guys for the foreseeable future.

I get what you mean in terms of playstyle, but In terms of what Jumbo Joe did FOR San Jose, I don't know if he did much in the grand scheme of things.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

What Jumbo Joe did for San Jose, Carlsson will be doing for you guys for the foreseeable future.

Ah darn, here we were hoping to get another Cup again someday.

Haha but in all seriousness, I think this draft was loaded up in a way that both of our clubs were getting a huge boost regardless of which guy we chose at #2. Both seem like legit #1 overall candidates in many drafts, and hopefully they both go on to kill it in the NHL.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I wonder who Carlsson will develop chemistry with. If they picked him because he has the ability to be a C at the NHL level, it probably implies one of Z or McTavish going to the wing (and I'm leaning towards McT because Z at wing was not great).


I get what you mean in terms of playstyle, but In terms of what Jumbo Joe did FOR San Jose, I don't know if he did much in the grand scheme of things.

Carlsson - Terry could be nasty if you get them a left winger who plays hard/fast/responsible and can keep up offensively (Bunting would be great). Put a big power forward beside Z and McT, and you have yourself a top 6.

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

Okay, moving on from being disappointed we didn't nab Fantilli, I'm still very excited about Carlsson, who still projects to be a game-changer for this franchise.

Carlsson's skating is brought up as a bit of a negative for him but as I mentioned before he reminds me a lot of Rantanen (also Draisaitl) especially when it comes to skating, so I really don't think it's going to be much of an issue for him, especially as his stride gets more powerful. He's got quick feet on his initial crossovers which allows him to get into stride pretty quickly (much like Mikko) and his ability to process the game allows him to get those feet moving rapidly in the right direction.

I think his shot is the area he needs to develop the most, I like his shot in close and his snapshot from mid-range when he has time but if he wants to take full advantage of his toolkit he's going to need to develop his one-timer and work on the quickness of his release. Part of what makes Draisaitl and Rantanen so effective is you can't cheat, they can beat you from anywhere with their shot or playmaking abilities. It also makes them much more effective on the give-and-go with short passes (which Leo is already great at initiating) because they're able to take a quick pass back and bury the puck from any angle on the one-timer.

I see a bit of the Kopitar comparison since Leo should be able to play that puck-possession game with the elite hockey sense but I don't think Leo is ever going to have Kopitar's defensive acumen and I don't think he's ever going to create offense from defensive plays the way Kopitar does, which is why I think he should model his game after Leon, Mikko, and Malkin rangey players who love to dangle and can beat you on the cycle or the rush.

All-in-all I'm excited for this player and his development. I also don't think he should be in the SHL next season. He's already played 2 full seasons over there and I believe it would be wise to get him onto the smaller ice surface. If he blows the doors off he can play the entire season in the NHL but more likely he should spend most of his time in the AHL with some time in the NHL.

Good luck, Leo! Prove us Fantilli folk wrong!

 

[AngelDuck]

Kopitar has freakish size and puck protection abilities. He’s a legit 230 pounds and uses that to ward off defenders from touching the puck. I’m not sold Carlsson ever reaches that ability but it’s quite early to tell.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Yeah, I know even Verbeek mentioned the Kopitar comp but I actually don’t see it that much. From the highlights I’ve seen he doesn’t seem to be drawn to playing along or near the boards very often.

He is more of an open-ice player it would appear. It’s early but I think Malkin is a better comp than Kopi (not saying he reaches Malkins level offensively).

 

[tomd]

Kopitar has freakish size and puck protection abilities. He’s a legit 230 pounds and uses that to ward off defenders from touching the puck. I’m not sold Carlsson ever reaches that ability but it’s quite early to tell.

Kopitar grew into what he is today and I suspect Carlsson will as well. Wouldn't be surprised if Carlsson grew to 6'4" 215-220 lbs. Offensively, Carlsson is more advanced than Kopitar was at the same age.

 

[Deuce22]

I realize that this team is lacking physicality and mean, but I'm not sure that's what I want from the 1C franchise player. Everyone loves Tkachuck, but he is getting hurt and taking majors when most needed. The Ducks need to improve in this area, but I want a guy with this kind of skill on the ice, not in the box or locker room. Find the hitters and fighters elsewhere in the lineup.

 

[Leonardo87]

Been watching highlights all night, lol. He has a very good shot, don't get why people are dissing it. His playmaking is beyond amazing, with his hockey IQ, knows exactly where to put the puck for his teammates. Can see the play before it happens.

What I like especially he loves to get in front of the net by the crease and will go into the dirty areas. Really need that on the Ducks. I also love how he can knock players off the puck, is able to protect it, reminds me a lot of Kakko but with a ton more skill and high IQ.

If the kid puts on another 15-20 pounds of muscle he is going to be force, and with that skill and IQ, really going to be an exciting player to watch.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Been watching highlights all night, lol. He has a very good shot, don't get why people are dissing it. His playmaking is beyond amazing, with his hockey IQ, knows exactly where to put the puck for his teammates. Can see the play before it happens.

What I like especially he loves to get in front of the net by the crease and will go into the dirty areas. Really need that on the Ducks. I also love how he can knock players off the puck, is able to protect it, reminds me a lot of Kakko but with a ton more skill and high IQ.

If the kid puts on another 15-20 pounds of muscle he is going to be force, and with that skill and IQ, really going to be an exciting player to watch.

Yeah, he's not soft, I keep reading that but he wins battles and he goes to the net. He doesn't hit at all which I'm sure is annoying to some people, but he doesn't avoid physical play.

The way he gets trucking and can beat guys outside with a fake, his vision and pass-first bias, and also the way he uses the long stick, really does remind me of Getz.

 

[Deuce22]

Yeah, he's not soft, I keep reading that but he wins battles and he goes to the net. He doesn't hit at all which I'm sure is annoying to some people, but he doesn't avoid physical play.

The way he gets trucking and can beat guys outside with a fake, his vision and pass-first bias, and also the way he uses the long stick, really does remind me of Getz.

I also think he skates a lot better than people have said. Not Fantilli straight line speed, but able to make subtle moves on the fly. A lot of highlights show him blowing by people on the rush.

 

[Leonardo87]

Yeah, he's not soft, I keep reading that but he wins battles and he goes to the net. He doesn't hit at all which I'm sure is annoying to some people, but he doesn't avoid physical play.

The way he gets trucking and can beat guys outside with a fake, his vision and pass-first bias, and also the way he uses the long stick, really does remind me of Getz.

I'm sure he can adapt some checking into his game with his size, but the other parts of the physical game are right there. He does remind me of Getz also, especially with the playmaking and IQ. Doesn't have the mean streak as Getz did, but that's ok.

The fact he will be working with Getz though. Really awesome stuff.

 

[alsmiss94]

Slept on it and still don't like it. I also didn't like Verbeek's comments about "two way player." That should not be the biggest focus at pick number 2. Defense can develop, the innate tools that Fantilli has don't. I feel as though it was an overcompensation for how poorly our Fs played at D.

 

[Trojans86]

Been watching highlights all night, lol. He has a very good shot, don't get why people are dissing it. His playmaking is beyond amazing, with his hockey IQ, knows exactly where to put the puck for his teammates. Can see the play before it happens.

What I like especially he loves to get in front of the net by the crease and will go into the dirty areas. Really need that on the Ducks. I also love how he can knock players off the puck, is able to protect it, reminds me a lot of Kakko but with a ton more skill and high IQ.

If the kid puts on another 15-20 pounds of muscle he is going to be force, and with that skill and IQ, really going to be an exciting player to watch.

I did the exact same thing and came to the exact same conclusions lol. I was very impressed after digging in deeper.

 

[anezthes]

Ridiculously excited about Carlsson. Seems like the smarter, more skilled player from what I've read/seen. Also, reckon it's easier to improve your skating compared to hockey IQ/awareness.

Don't really see any issues with his compete unless you equate it with "skating really fast all the time". He anticipates and reads plays very well IMO.

Playing a "physical" game against men 10 years your senior probably isn't realistic for many 16- to 18-year-olds.

 

[Bender66]

Yeah, the skating is reminiscent of Getz's younger days. No explosive acceleration/first step, but once he gets to top speed, he can beat people because he can make stickhandles and plays at top speed without slowing down.

 

[DucksDefender10]

Interesting quote from Stephen's article from Verbeek. Looks like he was set on someone else for awhile. Madden maybe helped change his mind? Draft interviews?

How, and why, the Ducks reached a 'unanimous' decision to draft Leo Carlsson

“After a while (and) long discussion, it was unanimous with our staff in who the player was going to be,” Verbeek said. “Was he my guy for a while? I wouldn’t say that. I think that we went through the process and we went through all debate. Really talked it out. We probably made our mind (with) a couple weeks left to go into this process.”

 

[ADHB]

Interesting quote from Stephen's article from Verbeek. Looks like he was set on someone else for awhile. Madden maybe helped change his mind? Draft interviews?

How, and why, the Ducks reached a 'unanimous' decision to draft Leo Carlsson

Not related to the content of the quote, but it’s incredible how Stephens had to insert words to make the quote readable. Verbeek literally can’t even form complete sentences. It’s pretty embarrassing honestly.

 

[ohcomeonref]

Not related to the content of the quote, but it’s incredible how Stephens had to insert words to make the quote readable. Verbeek literally can’t even form complete sentences. It’s pretty embarrassing honestly.

I love [reading] quotes where there's constant bracketed [words] to try [and] make what was [said] legible.

 

[Ducks]

So you're telling me that Carlsson has the higher floor.

Fantilli had 3 points (1g, 2a) at the WC in 10 games. Adam had 23 SOGs and Shot % of 4.35% for 0:47 ATOI/shift. Carlsson had 5 points (3g, 2a) in 8 WC games. Leo had 12 SOGs and Shot % of 25.0% for 0:49 ATOI/shift. I thought Fantilli was supposed to be the high octane offensive player? Does hyping his lone goal in the tourney absolve his 4.35% shooting %?

This wasn't the only venue Fantilli's high octane offense struggled, unfortunately.

Those metrics aren't comparable. One of Carlsson's goals was a pass that deflected awkwardly off a defenseman's skate. It should be 2g 2a vs 1g 2a, and even then the ice time, roles. And linemayes were very different.

 

[70sSanO]

People can argue the pick and choose to ignore that Fantilli “may” have not wanted to be a Duck. I don’t know the backstory.

But if I were a top top prospect, I would not just be happy being drafted by any team. Columbus is a couple hours from Ann Arbor. It might just be somewhere Adam wants to be.

Why does it have to be the Ducks making a mistake? The real mistake is picking someone who may be waiting to move on the minute things aren’t going the way he wants.

John

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

Carlsson feels a bit to me like a combination of McTavish and Zegras.

An argument could definitely be made for grabbing a player like Fantilli, who would be a different play style, but I also think there's something to be said for having a cohesive team.

Getz and Perry were so successful not only because they were talented, but because they played the game at the same speed.

I'm looking forward to overreacting, either positively or negatively, after his first shift and projecting his career from the first time he touches the puck.

 

[Trojans86]

Those metrics aren't comparable. One of Carlsson's goals was a pass that deflected awkwardly off a defenseman's skate. It should be 2g 2a vs 1g 2a, and even then the ice time, roles. And linemayes were very different.

Let's be honest thought, stat watching for a couple of games in a tournament isnt a great way to measure a player. so many variables can impact that. I loved Fantilli's speed but thought Carlsson was a much better overall player with how he played and thought the game. The speed though is truly a potential game-changer, I agree with that. Also some risk he has some Etem in him where he is so reliant on his speed and that advantage shrinks in the NHL.

 

[Gliff]

People need to ignore the whole "Fantilli wouldn't sign in Anaheim" BS. All the players have a preference, they normally just dont say it on record to a media team.

The Ducks took Carlsson because they wanted him more then Fantilli.