Carlsson, 19, was the 29th overall selection in last summer’s NHL Draft held at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. He recorded a goal and eight assists for nine points with two penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in 45 games with the Swedish Hockey League’s Linköping HC during the 2015-16 regular season. The team’s youngest full-time player, he also appeared in six playoff games. He added 2-6-8 with eight penalty minutes and was +6 in 11 games with Linköping HC J20 of the SuperElit.
“Gabriel played very well against his peers at the 2016 World Junior Championships and made great strides throughout the season in Sweden’s top professional league with Linköping,” said Kekalainen.