Rickard Rakell, William Karlsson battling for Ducks roster spot

Is the die cast in the Ducks’ competition for their final center position?

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau might’ve hinted at who’ll stay in Anaheim when he noted that Rickard Rakell, not rookie William Karlsson, could return to play alongside fellow young forwards Emerson Etem and Devante Smith-Pelly after doing so last season at minor league Norfolk.

With just one preseason game left, does Karlsson, with three preseason assists, have sufficient time and opportunity to move past Rakell, who scored a goal in the preseason opener and played in Anaheim last season?

Karlsson said he’s simply going to practice and play as well as he can, and hope that’s enough to sway the decision makers.

“You base it on what you know about them. … If someone has a better shift than somebody, is that a reason to make a team? I don’t think so,” Boudreau said. “You have to know if this guy’s quicker, stronger on the puck, he has more experience. There’s a lot of little things. You might say, ‘He’s a young guy who deserves it,’ or ‘He’s the incumbent. You’ve got to beat him out.’”