2023 second overall pick will reportedly start the season in the NHL

The Anaheim Ducks will be getting a big boost to their lineup to start the 2023-24 season.

According to reports out of Sweden, Ducks prospect Leo Carlsson will not appear in any pre-season games with Orebro HK and is expected to get nine games with Anaheim before they decide if he will continue in the NHL or play with the American Hockey League's San Diego Gulls.

Carlsson, the 2023 second overall pick, saw his draft stock rise significantly throughout last season after strong performances in the Swedish Hockey League, World Juniors and World Championship.

In 44 games for Orebro HK last season, Carlsson had 25 points (ten goals, 15 assists) and followed that up with nine points in 13 playoff games. On the international stage, the Karlstad native put up six points in seven games at the World Juniors and five points in eight games at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, where he played big minutes against NHLers and others that were much older and more experienced than him.


The Ducks prospect pool is loaded with talent and it's only a matter of time before they start becoming a playoff contending team once again.