Draft: Sweden give Leo Carlsson a chance to shine

The draft is approaching faster than you think, and in Montreal, there are already some names that are the talk of the town.

Obviously, there’s a lot of talk about Connor Bedard, because he’s probably the best prospect since Connor McDavid. There’s a lot of talk about Matvei Michkov for a lot of different reasons. There’s also talk of Will Smith, a young man known to the CH organization because of his ties to Kent Hughes.

It would be surprising to see him available at No. 5, where the Habs will (technically) be drafting next June… But I’d like to see a little talk about Leo Carlsson.

In recent weeks, we’ve learned that the Swede will be defending his country’s colors at the World Championship, which kicks off this morning. That said…

The question was how Sweden would use him against other teams, most of which are built around several NHL players.

That’s where it gets particularly interesting.

For the team’s first game against Germany, Carlsson will be employed in the center of the first trio, with Lucas Raymond and Alex Nylander on the wings.

This is a great opportunity for Carlsson to showcase his talents and get his eyes wide open for June 28, when the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft takes place:

Hi, hello. Leo Carlsson centering Lucas Raymond and Alex Nylander.

Looks like ESPN+ will have IIHF Men’s Worlds games that are not on NHL Network this year in the U.S. https://t.co/6JjYrbVyZC

– Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) May 12, 2023

I love it, honestly.

Seeing him in the middle of two talented players can only help him, and that’s why I applaud Sweden’s decision. We want to give him as many chances as possible to impress the gallery…

And it’s up to him to seize the opportunity.

As I said earlier, it would be a bit surprising to see him slip all the way to the fifth spot in the next draft. If the Habs are lucky enough to select him at his rank, I find it hard to believe that he’ll go “over the top”.

There would have to be two surprises in the top-4. Will Smith and Matvei Michkov absolutely have to be selected before him, which would cause a bit of a surprise.

But hey. You know as well as I do. Things can always, always turn around at the draft. Especially when it comes to the first round.

Until then, let’s keep a close eye on Carlsson to see if he can increase his value… And the opposite is also true.

Breaking news

– It’s clear.

– The Americans start their tournament on the right foot.

A win against Finland to start🏒https://t.co/axKGapNHYS

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 12, 2023

– Patrick Roy’s team has yet to lose a match in the playoffs.

– Roope Hintz has been playing like a star since the start of the playoffs.

3️⃣ points, a big Game 5 win and a share of the league scoring lead in the #StanleyCup Playoffs made for a pretty good night for @RoopeHintz! pic.twitter.com/YLgOUOL4mP

– NHLPA (@NHLPA) May 12, 2023

– My goodness. That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?