Carlsson comfortable in centre of draft spotlight

Since he was a kid, Leo Carlsson has had a speech impediment. It's never stopped him from chasing his hockey dream and a job in the public eye.  

"I just haven't cared, to be honest," the Orebro forward said. "It's getting better in Swedish, but English it's hard to get all the words out. But it's getting easier."

Carlsson, who is expected to be a top pick at next week's NHL draft in Nashville, doesn't see a speech therapist. He's found strength from within his family and within himself. 

"Of course, my parents helped me out with some tips, but it's basically all myself," he said. "I try to talk slower if I'm getting a stutter. I just calm down and talk slower."

Carlsson spoke with 11 NHL teams at the scouting combine, and he only got asked about it once. Executives and scouts are more interested in discussing the 25 points Carlsson produced in 44 Swedish Hockey League games this season.

They’re even more interested in how the 18-year-old excelled against men and emerged as the No. 1 international skater on NHL Central Scouting's ranking. Carlsson came in No. 3 on Bob McKenzie's final list of all prospects, which is based on a sampling of scouts.  

"Never let the stutter the win," Carlsson said of his advice to kids in a similar situation. "You can't just quit saying the word because of the stutter. Yeah, just be calm." 

During a conversation with TSN, Carlsson calmly made the case for why he'll be a centre in the NHL despite playing on the wing in the SHL. The Swedish junior hockey player of the year, who stands 6-foot-2, 194 pounds, also shared what he learned from battling Mikko Rantanen at the recent World Championship. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. 

TSN: What was the toughest question you faced at the scouting combine? 

Carlsson: I didn't get any tough questions. I didn't get one that stood out. I knew that animal question was going to come, so I was prepared for that, but otherwise it was basic questions, actually. 

TSN: What animal are you on the ice? Lots of players mentioned that one. 

Carlsson: I was ready. 

TSN: So, what was your answer? 

Carlsson: I picked an owl because I see the ice well.

TSN: When you're playing your best, what are you doing?

Carlsson: Having the puck a lot. Getting the puck with speed and dangling the Ds, basically. 

TSN: If I wanted to watch your best game this season, which one should I watch?

Carlsson: Maybe one of the games against Skelleftea in the playoffs, or maybe the game against the USA in the World Championship. Yeah, maybe those two. 

TSN: What made you proud of those performances? 

Carlsson: Against USA I was comfortable on the ice, playing centre and having fun out there. Against Skelleftea, I mean, it's a great team and it was in the semifinals of the SHL playoffs, and I had some confidence in those games. I had a lot of fun.  

TSN: Why do you prefer playing centre?

Carlsson: I get the puck more and can do basically whatever I want on the ice.

TSN: What's the best part of your game? 

Carlsson: My hockey sense, hockey IQ, and my ability to get to the net and fake Ds out. 

TSN: What was it like talking to the Anaheim Ducks, who pick second overall?

Carlsson: It was good. We were talking about next year and if I was a centre or a wing. Also, how I felt last season and at the World Championship. 

TSN: How does your game compare to Michigan Wolverines centre Adam Fantilli? 

Carlsson: Kind of the same. He's more of an aggressive player and I'm more a skilled way. He's super skilled as well, but that's just the game styles.

TSN: What did you learn playing at the World Championship? 

Carlsson: Just how to be a professional. I talked a lot to [Jakob] Silfverberg there and he was a great guy and taught me a lot. 

TSN: Like what? 

Carlsson: I mean, the basics. Eat right and stuff like that. Nothing too hard, but that's some good advice. 

TSN: Are you changing your diet now? 

Carlsson: Not really. I think I have good items. I can change sometimes, maybe. 

TSN: Who was the toughest guy you played against at the World Championship? 

Carlsson: Mikko Rantanen. He was so big, and I couldn't get the puck from him ... That kind of set the bar for me and how much I have to work on my game to get better. 

TSN: What do you want to improve on moving forward? 

Carlsson: The first three steps in my skating has to be better. When I get to my top speed, I think it's great, but the first three steps has to be better. 

TSN: How do you work on that? 

Carlsson: In the gym, you know, the heavy stuff, one-leg squats and broad jumps, stuff like that. 

TSN: Who is your NHL role model? 

Carlsson: I'm kind of like a mix of [Anze] Kopitar and [Evgeni] Malkin. Big centres with high-end skill and good in all three zones. 

TSN: I know in Sweden some have compared you to Mats Sundin. What do you think about that? 

Carlsson: It's a huge honour to be compared to Mats. Great player. I didn't see a lot of him, to be honest, but a huge honour, of course.  

TSN: Do you know how many Swedish-born players have been selected in the first three picks at the NHL draft? 

Carlsson: Ahhh, wild guess, five maybe? 

TSN: Close. Only six. What would it mean to join that exclusive club, which includes Rasmus Dahlin, Gabriel Landeskog, Victor Hedman, Sundin, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin? 

Carlsson: It's a huge honour to be picked that high and join that club. If it happens, it's going to be nice and cool. 

TSN: What song do you want to play when you’re picked? 

Carlsson: I think I chose Drip too Hard with Lil Baby ... I like the song and I like him as well as an artist. 

TSN: Did you watch the NHL draft as a kid? 

Carlsson: Oh yeah. Well, I haven't watched every draft live because it's 3 a.m. in Sweden, but I always watched the first round in the morning. 

TSN: Do you have a favourite memory? 

Carlsson: I don't think a favourite memory. I liked when my two best friends were drafted last year, Simon Forsmark [in the fourth round to the Carolina Hurricanes] and Elias Pettersson [in the third round to the Vancouver Canucks], so that was a great memory. 

TSN: What stood out about the trip to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final? 

Carlsson: It was unreal. It was my first NHL game to watch as well. Just a great atmosphere. It's the Stanley Cup Finals in Vegas, so it was unreal. 

TSN: You spoke to players in the morning. Did any conversation stand out? 

Carlsson: We talked to William Karlsson to get some Swedish in there as well. We had a normal conversation. It was good. 

TSN: What did you think of Karlsson's speech at Stanley Cup parade? 

Carlsson: It was unreal. Nice to see that. That was fun. 

TSN: You have a Lonzo Ball Lakers jersey framed in your apartment. Why? 

Carlsson: I like his swag. I watched some highlights since he was in high school. I like him. 

TSN: What's your swag like? 

Carlsson: It's not similar to him, but I have some Jordans. I'm trying to be maybe like in between hockey and basketball.