Leo Carlsson

Why: Carlsson is big strong and skilled. In his draft year he has 25 points in 44 SHL games for Orebro. He is not afraid to stand at the top of the other team’s crease and he has a very quick set of hands that allows him to roof rebounds or make five to ten foot passes to keep the play alive. As of today he has scored 20 goals (including International competition) this season, with 12 coming from within eight feet of the crease and additional four coming from inside the house. He has an expanded one-timer shooting area as well as the ability to put it on the net with 69% of his shots hitting the net. He has serious puck poise and the stick skills to protect the puck while an opponent is on his back.

Why not: Carlsson is 6’3″ and 194lbs and he has won 40% of his 50/50 puck battles over the past two seasons. During the most recent World Jr Tournament he won 36% of his 50/50s.

SHL Friendly: Orebro vs Karlskoga, September 3, 2022: Carlsson is a long lanky left shot forward who played the right wing.  Brain – Offensively he processed offensive transition quickly showing the understanding of when to push the pace through the middle or when to delay for better pass receiving angles and time / space. When cycling he provided close support when needed and when his linemates had clear puck possession he moved against the grain of coverage while sliding into the soft ice for better shooting angles. Vision / Puck Poise – He scans the ice before receiving a pass or on his way to a loose or 50/50 puck so he is rarely caught off guard. Protects the puck with his eyes up and can carry the puck cleanly with the puck positioned at the farthest point from the defender. He has a quick deceptive stickhandle that makes defenders away from the puck lean and or change their routes.  Feet / Skating – He showed an upright skating posture with a deep knee bend and quick fluid stride. Although quick out of power turns, he has a narrow cross-under and I feel he will be more explosive by reaching out to grab the ice with his outside edge so he has a longer outside edge thrust while driving through his crossover. Compete / Effort – He won 33% of his puck battles, and had 1 giveaway compared to 1 takeaway. In constant motion in the offensive zone. There will be questions about his compete and effort because at his size he makes things look so easy, especially when playing age appropriate hockey.  Contact / Physicality – He was not a threat to put anyone through the boards, but he understands how to set picks by skating through the opponent’s lanes and he will initiate contact on his way to lose pucks.  First Touch – Early in the game he had a few hard passes bounce off his blade or go through it, but as the game progressed he had very little trouble controlling any pass that was within his stick’s reach. One-timer /Release – In the first period he had a quick one-timer that was a rocket off a bouncing deflected pass. He stayed down the puck and drove his lower shoulder towards his low blocker target. In the third period he had another one-timer opportunity that came off a hard pass that was a bit in front of his right foot, but he slid laterally as the pass was coming and still was able to fire it (the shot was deflected wide by a defender’s stick) Body Language – No slumped shoulders or palms to the sky. He was very mellow after earning a second period power play assist.  Special Teams – Carlsson ran the right mid-wall on the first power play unit and finished with 4:54 of power play ice time out of a possible 7:29 of Orebro’s power play ice time. He did not kill penalties. He will be a first unit power play player in the National League. Intangible / Thoughts – He’s 6’3′ and 200lbs with a quick mind and quick hands. His skating and frame looks like he can and will carry an additional 12-15 pounds without losing any speed or agility. There is no doubt that he likes to have space so it will be an adjustment onto an NHL ice sheet, but he is a talented package that will be an impact NHL player. He is a December 26, so it’s not hard to imagine totally dominating 2005 age appropriate hockey if he was born a few days later.