Anaheim Ducks’ Leo Carlsson Out with Injury, Olympic Participation in Doubt
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson will be out of action for three to five weeks due to surgery to treat a left thigh injury. This situation puts his participation in the Winter Olympics for Sweden in doubt. Carlsson underwent surgery on Friday in Los Angeles to treat a Morel-Lavallée lesion, a rare injury in which the skin and fat separate from the fascia tissue, leaving a space filled with fluid.Carlsson, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, had an exceptional start to the season with the Ducks, accumulating 38 points in his first 29 games. However, in the last month, his production has decreased, recording only six points in the last 15 games. Quenneville acknowledged that Carlsson had been trying to play despite the injury. Carlsson, 21 years old, was selected for the Swedish Olympic team, but the Milan Cortina Games begin in 3 and a half weeks. Despite the injury, Carlsson remains the Ducks’ leading scorer this season with 44 points in 44 games. His prolonged absence is another setback for Anaheim, which has performed inconsistently in the last five weeks after spending much of the first two and a half months of the season in first place in the Pacific Division. Despite playing without their two top scorers due to injuries, the Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to win in Los Angeles in the first game of a mini-series of matchups. Troy Terry was placed on the injured list with an upper-body injury, missing his fourth consecutive game.“I haven’t heard exactly how he is now, but I’m sure he’s in the situation where he’s going through the process and procedure he went through. We wish him the best and that he has a great recovery so he can come back and help us,” commented Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville after the Ducks’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.
Joel Quenneville, Coach of the Anaheim Ducks
