Ducks’ Leo Carlsson exits Kraken game after dangerous hit

Carlsson was driven into the goal post due to Kartye’s hit. He headed down the tunnel toward the locker room as his teammates defended him. A little while later, the Ducks announced that Carlsson would not return to the game on Monday night.

Carlsson is a former second-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft. Carlsson was seen as one of four elite prospects at the top of the draft. However, the Ducks passed over Adam Fantilli — the consensus second-best player in the class — to pick the Swedish pivot.

The 20-year-old Carlsson went straight to the NHL coming out of the draft. It’s been a bit of a learning curve for him, as many players often go through. He finished last season with 12 goals and 29 points in 55 regular season games. This year, however, it seems as if the Ducks star is figuring things out.

Leo Carlsson entered play on Monday with six goals and 11 points in 19 games. He did not record a point against Seattle before the Tye Kartye hit. However, he has shown to be one of Anaheim’s best players this year.

Carlsson entered play Monday tied for the team lead in goals with Troy Terry. Additionally, Terry held a one-point lead over the young budding star for the team lead in points. Carlsson is currently playing to a 26-goal, 48-point pace across a full 82 games. He is also third among forwards for the highest amount of average ice time per game.

Carlsson has a ton of potential and seemed to be on the verge of a breakout season. However, a hit against the Kraken may lead him to miss time due to injury. Hopefully, the Ducks star avoids a serious injury, and that the hit looked a lot worse than it actually was.