Ducks’ Leo Carlsson Out Day-to-Day with Lower-Body Injury

The Anaheim Ducks will be without star center Leo Carlsson for their upcoming match against the Seattle Kraken due to a lower-body injury. Head coach Joel Quenneville confirmed this development to Derek Lee of *The Hockey News*, marking Carlsson as day-to-day. The team anticipates he will return for their first game following the NHL’s Christmas break on December 27, when they face the Los Angeles Kings.

Details surrounding the injury remain unclear, including when or how Carlsson sustained it. The 20-year-old forward has been heavily relied upon during the recent stretch, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time in four of his 11 games this month. In three of those games, he logged more than 22 minutes on the ice, a significant workload for a player of his age. This increased usage may have contributed to Carlsson’s recent scoring drought; he has not found the back of the net in his last three games, following a strong start to the month in which he recorded four goals and seven points in eight games. This scoring slump ties with a similar stretch in November for the longest of his season.

With the Ducks set to face the Kraken, who are struggling with a record of 1-4-0 in their last five games, the team sees this absence as an opportunity for precautionary rest rather than a serious setback, according to Zach Cavanagh of *The Sporting Tribune*. In Carlsson’s absence, the Ducks will elevate Mikael Granlund to the top-line center position. Granlund has recently shown impressive form, accumulating five points in his last three games, and is expected to lead the charge while Troy Terry moves into the top right-wing slot.

Despite the potential impact of Carlsson’s absence, the Ducks enter Monday’s game with confidence after a recent victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, which improved their December record to 6-4-1. Although the Ducks have been slightly outscored during this stretch, with a total of 36 goals against 40, they have averaged an impressive 3.5 goals per game over their last four matches. With a strong defensive performance and Granlund’s continued offensive contributions, Anaheim appears well-positioned for a competitive matchup against a Kraken team that ranks last in the league for goals scored this season.

As the Ducks navigate this injury, Carlsson’s leadership and scoring prowess will be missed, but the team’s resilience and depth will be tested against the Kraken, providing an opportunity for other players to step up in his absence.