Rookie Midterms: How Leo Carlsson has carved out his own path and defied expectations with the Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have taken a unique approach to developing Leo Carlsson, their second-overall pick in last year's draft.

In the summer, many – myself included – thought that Carlsson would be best served by another year in Sweden. He'd always projected long-term as an NHL centre, but he'd spent the majority of his draft year playing on the wing. Another year in the SHL would've helped him get his feet under him at one of the sport's most demanding positions rather than learning it on the fly in the NHL.

The Ducks went in the opposite direction, with a unique twist that we haven't really seen in the NHL before. They managed Carlsson's games carefully, especially early, allowing him to take the odd night off to focus on training. Then, when he'd return to the lineup, it was right back to the