Leif Leo Olof Carlsson (born 26 December 2004) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a centre and alternate captain for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted second overall by the Ducks in the 2023 NHL entry draft.
Playing career Carlsson originally played at the youth level with hometown team Färjestad BK before moving to fellow tenured Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team, Örebro HK, for the 2020–21 season. During the 2021–22 season, Carlsson made his professional debut in the SHL as a 17-year-old, posting three goals and six assists in 35 regular-season games.
In his year of NHL entry draft eligibility, Carlsson increased his stock in playing exclusively with the senior team in the SHL showing an offensive acumen in securing a scoring line role among Örebro HK for the 2022–23 season. Bob McKenzie referred to Carlsson as a "blue-chip" prospect in the 2023 NHL entry draft.
On 28 June 2023, Carlsson was drafted second overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2023 draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on 12 July. On 10 October, Carlsson was named to the Ducks' opening night roster for the 2023–24 season after attending the team's training camp. However, he suffered an injury during practice on 6 October, and was unable to play in the Ducks' first two games of the season. Carlsson made his NHL debut on 19 October, scoring a goal in the Ducks' 3–2 loss against the Dallas Stars. On 10 November, in a 6–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Carlsson became the youngest player in Ducks franchise history to record a hat-trick, at 18 years and 319 days old. During a game against the Boston Bruins on 22 February 2025, Carlsson tallied his 49th career point to tie Hampus Lindholm for the fourth-most points by a Ducks player before age 21.
Entering the 2026 off-season as a restricted free agent, the Philadelphia Flyers submitted an offer sheet to Carlsson, offering a five-year, $90 million contract on 3 July 2026, making Carlsson the highest-paid player in the NHL with an annual value of $18 million. On 9 July, Anaheim matched the offer sheet.
International play
Carlsson represented Sweden junior team at the 2023 World Junior Championships. In May 2023, it was announced that Carlsson would play for Sweden senior team in the 2023 World Championship. Carlsson was selected to play for the 2026 Swedish Olympic team, and was expected to play as their first line centre, but a Morel-Lavallée lesion (separation of skin and fat from fascia tissue) on his left thigh caused him to miss the tournament.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2020–21 Örebro HK J20 19 4 5 9 12 — — — — — 2021–22 Örebro HK J20 14 10 17 27 2 4 1 7 8 2 2021–22 Örebro HK SHL 35 3 6 9 4 — — — — — 2022–23 Örebro HK SHL 44 10 15 25 6 13 1 8 9 4 2023–24 Anaheim Ducks NHL 55 12 17 29 16 — — — — — 2024–25 Anaheim Ducks NHL 76 20 25 45 14 — — — — — 2025–26 Anaheim Ducks NHL 70 29 38 67 33 12 4 7 11 0SHL totals 79 13 21 34 10 13 1 8 9 4NHL totals 201 61 80 141 63 12 4 7 11 0
International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2021 Sweden HG18 5 1 2 3 0 2022 Sweden U18 2 2 1 3 0 2023 Sweden WJC 4th 7 3 3 6 2 2023 Sweden WC 6th 8 3 2 5 0 2025 Sweden 4NF 3rd 1 0 0 0 0 2025 Sweden WC 6th 10 4 6 10 2Junior totals 14 6 6 12 2Senior totals 10 7 8 15 2
References
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