ANAHEIM –– When Leo Carlsson was named to Team Sweden for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Tre Kronor GM Josef Boumedienne gave an eloquent, elaborate summary of what the youngest player on the team could contribute.
Ducks winger Chris Kreider had a more concise assessment.
“The guy’s a freak. I don’t know what else there is to say,” Kreider said after Carlsson’s four-point deluge against Detroit in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Red Wings.
Ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the New Jersey Devils, Carlsson has 15 points in 10 outings. That ties him for eighth in the NHL in points per game with 2024 Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon. Even within the limited space of the Ducks’ schedule to date, Carlsson appears to be striving for greatness with each stride of his skates.
How much has Carlsson, who’ll turn 21 on Boxing Day on Dec. 26, grown in just 10 matches?
“By at least leaps, and at least bounds. He’s been that good,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Carlsson’s point-and-a-half clip approaches what the players taken on either side of him in the 2023 draft, Chicago’s Connor Bedard at No. 1 and Columbus’ Adam Fantilli at No. 3, are producing combined at 1.77 points per contest.
Quenneville pointed out that Carlsson had excelled regardless of his linemates, but across situations he and Troy Terry have snapped into place. Between their work in both areas of special teams as well as even-strength play, they’ve outscored opponents 13-5, with actual goals, expected goals, scoring chances and high-danger chances all pushing firmly above a 70% share.
“They just see the game the same way. They flow off each other really well and support each other really well,” said Kreider, who skated on their line and power-play unit Friday when he picked up a man-advantage marker in his first game back from illness.
Like Quenneville, who spoke of the way Carlsson’s puck transportation and speed through the middle freed up ice on the flanks, Kreider said the space between the blue lines was a key area for the Carlsson-Terry tandem.
“Some of the stuff through the neutral zone, you think there’s no space, nowhere to slash through the neutral zone and gain the zone with possession, and they do it,” Kreider said. “It’s super impressive to watch and I just have to remind myself, don’t watch, move your feet and stay parallel with them because you never know when the puck might come your way.”
Opposing Carlsson, Terry and the rest of the Ducks will be the Devils, who have their own array of former blue-chip picks. Nico Hischier was taken No. 1 overall in 2017, two years before Jack Hughes was the top pick. His brother Luke went fourth overall two years after that and Simon Nemec was the No. 2 pick a season later.
The Devils have a top-10 penalty kill for a fourth straight season despite the departure of PK-focused assistant Ryan McGill, who signed with the Ducks this summer.
New Jersey Devils at Ducks
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Honda Center
TV: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)
