Ducks’ Leo Carlsson out 3-5 weeks after undergoing thigh surgery

Unwanted news for a California team and a country gearing up for the Winter Olympics.

On Friday, the Anaheim Ducks announced that forward Leo Carlsson underwent surgery to treat a Morel-Lavallée lesion in his left thigh. The team stated that he will remain out of action for around 3-5 weeks.

Carlsson missed Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars, though the Ducks came away with a 3-1 win, snapping a nine-game losing streak. He was also absent from a game last month due to a lower-body injury, though the team hasn’t confirmed whether the two injuries are related.

The timeline doesn’t serve well for either the Ducks or Team Sweden. Anaheim is trying to climb its way back into playoff contention after its recent rough patch. Also, Carlsson was expected to be an important youthful piece on the Swedish roster in Milan next month. The timeline for his recovery puts his Olympic hopes in jeopardy and might force Sweden director Anders Lundberg and head coach Sam Hallam to make a decision before they get too close to the tournament.

Carlsson has been having a dynamite year for the Ducks. The 21-year-old has scored 18 goals and 26 assists, and is currently leading the team with 44 points. He potted a goal and an assist in his last game on Jan. 10 against the Buffalo Sabres. He’s well on his way to surpassing his career-best performance during the 2024-25 campaign, which saw him score 20 goals and 45 points in 76 games.

The Ducks (22-21-3) are sixth in the Pacific Division, four points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Sweden begins Group B play against host Italy on Feb. 11.