NHL playoffs give Ducks' Leo Carlsson a chance to be a breakout star

The Anaheim Ducks open a playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers while 21-year-old center Leo Carlsson — who missed time earlier this season for a Morel-Lavallée lesion and surgery — will make his NHL playoff debut; he returned late in the regular season and finished with 29 goals and 67 points.

Leo Carlsson and the Anaheim Ducks are preparing to face the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL playoffs. The Ducks return to the postseason for the first time in eight years. Carlsson, 21, is the team's top-line center and will appear in his first NHL playoff game. He missed time earlier in the season for a Morel-Lavallée lesion and had surgery, then returned to finish the year strongly. Key facts: - Series matchup is Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers, with Game 1 set in Edmonton. - Carlsson is 21 and will make his playoff debut while serving as the Ducks' top-line center. - He finished the regular season with 29 goals, 67 points and 38 assists; his 0.96 points per game led Anaheim. - Carlsson missed 11 games before the Olympic break due to a Morel-Lavallée lesion and underwent surgery; Sweden did not include him on its Olympic roster. - From Feb. 25 on, he recorded 11 goals and 23 points in his final 26 games. - The Oilers feature Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said matchups against those players will be handled as a team effort. Summary: The series gives Carlsson a prominent stage to play against some of the NHL's best and to further define his role in high-pressure games. Coaches will make matchup decisions during the series, and Carlsson is expected to play significant minutes in multiple games. The immediate next step is Game 1 in Edmonton.