The Daily: Carlsson in Awe of Red Wings Yzerman; Blackhawks, Islanders Are Dealing

Leo Carlsson knew he wasn’t going to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of Wednesday’s NHL entry draft. That didn’t make his encounter with Detroit GM Steve Yzerman any less stressful.

“I met Steve Yzerman at the Detroit meeting, it was cool,” Carlsson, who was selected second overall by the Anaheim Ducks,  told Swedish website Expressen.se. “He is an old great player, so it was special and you were almost starstruck.”

Leo Carlsson felt ’starstruck’ meeting Yzerman during Detroit interview.

When asked if he ever felt that way on the ice, answered: facing Mikko Rantanen and facing Moritz Seider. https://t.co/P1Yw4qhBAT

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) June 28, 2023

Carlsson made a comparison to meeting Yzerman with getting the chance to play against Detroit defenseman and 2021-22 Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider at the recent IIHF World Championship.

“Meeting Moritz Seider was also cool,” Carlsson said.

During that tournament, Carlsson was picking the brain of his Swedish NHL teammates to try and get a sense of what he should be expecting when he’s arriving to play in the world’s best hockey league.

“I spoke to (Red Wings forward) Lucas Raymond more about what it’s like off the ice,” Carlsson said.

The Swedish forward spent the 2022-23 season in the SHL with Orebo, where Carlsson was the benefactor of a mentor with Detroit ties, former Red Wings forward Mathias Brome.

“He has been over and tested, so it was good to hear about some experiences,” Carlsson said of Brome. “He has been a great leader to have on the team this year.”

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• After a long drive, Axel Sandin-Pellikka was happy to land with the Red Wings
• Detroit top draft pick Nate Danielson was Connor Bedard’s nemesis in the WHL.
• Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wants to remind everyone that the NHL entry draft is not an exact science
• Forward Dominik Kubalik is hopeful of being a more consistent scorer for Detroit next season

Red Wings Offseason

Among the nuggets that were gleaned from No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard following his selection by the Chicago Blackhawks was that if he could go back in history and play with any NHL player, it would be Red Wings legend Gordie Howe. Third overall pick Adam Fantilli acknowledged that his first-ever NHL jersey was Mr. Hockey’s Detroit No. 9 sweater.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: As much as they tried, the Boston Bruins couldn’t make a deal to get into the first round of the NHL entry draft.

Montreal: David Reinbacher was a safe pick for the Montreal Canadiens at fifth overall.

Buffalo: A spin of the wheel would land the Buffalo Sabres their greatest player.

Pittsburgh: Just because they were acquiring Reilly Smith from Vegas, that doesn’t mean Jason Zucker’s days with the Pittsburgh Penguins are done.

Philadelphia: The addition of Russian forward Matvei Michkov is giving the Philadelphia Flyers hope.

Washington: Did the Washington Capitals land their own version of Matthew Tkachuk by drafting Ryan Leonard?

Islanders: Veteran forward Josh Bailey was traded by the New York Islanders to Chicago.

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Chicago: Expectations are that the Chicago Blackhawks will be buying out forward Josh Bailey after acquiring him from the Islanders.

Colorado: Here’s why the Colorado Avalanche won’t be qualifying RFA forward Denis Malgin.

Nashville: Top draft pick Matthew Wood is aiming to become the Nashville Predators version of Tage Thompson.

Calgary: Samuel Honzek, top pick of the Calgary Flames, has drawn parallels to Leon Draisaitl.

Los Angeles: How the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade is impacting the roster of the Los Angeles Kings.

Vegas: Stanley Cup hero Ivan Barbashev agreed to terms on a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights.

San Jose: Selected fourth overall by the San Jose Sharks, Will Smith compares his game to that of Jack Hughes.