Canucks: Checking in on forward prospect Linus Karlsson
There always seems to be a lot going on with the Vancouver Canucks and their prospects.
Just last week, the San Jose Sharks took to Twitter, announcing that they had inked former-Canuck Jonathan Dahlen to a new deal.
DONE DEAL👏
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 14, 2021
We've signed forward Jonathan Dahlen to a one-year contract!
✍️: https://t.co/yxOcluyopr pic.twitter.com/6d004J4UY2
As most fans are aware, Dahlen used to be one of the more promising players in the team’s prospect pool. The Swedish left-winger was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at the 2017 trade deadline in exchange for fan favourite Alex Burrows, who was wrapping up the last year of his four-year contract with Vancouver.
At the time, the transaction was a big deal for the Canucks.
Firstly, it appeared that General Manager Jim Benning and his team were beginning to accept the idea of the rebuild, trading away an aging core player and getting a talented, young prospect in return. It also helped that Benning was able to land Dahlen’s former teammate at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft a few months later, selecting Elias Pettersson fifth overall.
Dahlen recorded 15 goals and 16 assists during his time in Utica, often flanking Reid Boucher and Tanner Kero on the first line, but, as we all know, that was short-lived. Dahlen ended up never actually played a full campaign with the AHL affiliate, only dressing for 52 games between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, and would eventually request a trade around the 2019 trade deadline. This was confirmed during Benning’s post-deadline media availability that year.
Despite not actually having to trade Dahlen at the time, given his restricted free agency and contract status with the team, the Canucks were still able to get something done to appease the Swedish prospect, eventually parting ways with him on February 25th, 2019.
Of course, there was a lot of speculation as to why Dahlen wanted out of Vancouver, especially given that fellow prospect Petrus Palmu had recently returned to Finland due to frequent healthy scratches and lack of communication in Utica.
But, regardless of why Dahlen felt he needed a change in scenery at the time, it’s now all considered in the past. What is important to focus on is the player that Benning was able to get in return for Dahlen, and that was forward Linus Karlsson.
Originally drafted 87th overall by the Sharks at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Karlsson would go on to put up sub-par numbers that season, recording just five goals and 13 assists in 52 games with Karlskrona HK of the Hockey Allsvenskan League, Sweden’s second-tier league. He also represented Sweden at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded one assist in three games.
So, how has Karlsson performed since then?
Karlsson began the 2019-20 season back with Karlskrona HK. He was able to improve upon his previous point totals, notching eight goals and 14 assists in 36 games, but mainly found himself in a bottom-six forward role. Fortunately for Karlsson, he was able to utilize one of his contract clauses, deciding to make the move to another Allsvenskan club, BIK Karlskoga.
This would end up paying big dividends for him.
Karlsson’s offence took a big jump with his new team right away. He was able to produce at over a point-per-pace game in his first 12 games, notching six goals and 12 assists. More importantly, Karlsson was proving that he belonged in a team’s top-six forward group.
Karlsson remained with BIK Karlskoga the following year, once again blowing past his point totals from the previous campaign. The Swedish forward registered 20 goals and 31 assists in 52 games, and was even able to crack the top-10 scoring list throughout the entire league at the end of the season. Dahlen finished atop that list, registering 71 points in 45 games.
However, Karlsson also proved that he could help his team when it mattered the most. He was second in playoff scoring for BIK Karlskoga that postseason, notching eight goals and seven assists in 11 games. Unfortunately, his team was eliminated in seven games during the semi-finals.
Scoresheet contributions aside, there’s a lot to like about Karlsson’s game. According to Elite Prospects, Karlsson is defensively reliable, can distribute the puck well, and has a very good overall hockey sense. Karlsson’s natural position is at centre, but he has become more comfortable playing on the wings, which would be a strong asset for both the Canucks and their AHL team in Abbotsford.
Karlsson won’t be the biggest player on either team, clocking in at 6’1″ and 180 pounds, but has definitely bulked up since being drafted as a 19-year-old, and has also shown that he can play physical in gritty board battles and 50/50 scrums. He will need to improve upon his overall speed if he wants to effectively contribute in today’s fast-paced NHL, but could still be an intriguing piece for the Canucks moving forward.
So, what’s the next step for Karlsson?
Based on his statistics and scouting reports, Karlsson would be more than capable of suiting up for the Abbotsford team in the AHL next season. However, according to the Hockey Writers, Karlsson doesn’t appear ready to make that transition to North America just yet. He is reportedly expected to move up to the top-tier Swedish Hockey League for the 2021-22 campaign, unless Benning and co. can strike a deal and convince him otherwise.
Of course, it wouldn’t be all bad if Karlsson decided to further develop his game in Sweden. Pettersson did just that with Växjö Lakers HC during the 2017-18 season, and even went on to win the championship. He was also awarded the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as playoff MVP. It does also sound like Karlsson would eventually like to pursue professional hockey in North America, much more than Dahlen currently does.
However, there is still a lot to consider with this situation.
For starters, it would be nice for the Canucks to have something to show for the Burrows’ trade soon, especially given how Dahlen performed in Sweden this past year. It also wouldn’t bode well for the organization if they were to lose another prospect to overseas hockey for the time being, particularly one of Karlsson’s potential.
Plus, it appears that the Canucks should be set up for much more success with their prospects this season compared to previous ones. Most of their highly-projected prospects were able to gain valuable NHL experience this past year, including Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich and Will Lockwood, and that experience will hopefully be shared with their teammates, such as Karlsson if he were to come to British Columbia. Not to mention, the players won’t need to hop on a plane to get to Vancouver anymore, which should be a bonus for any aspiring prospect in the organization’s system.
It’ll be tough to predict where Karlsson will end up next season, especially given the ongoing global pandemic, as well as the team’s long offseason to-do list. No matter where he plays, however, many fans will be keeping tabs on Karlsson’s development, hoping that he’ll be a valuable piece for the club in the near future.
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Where would you like to see Karlsson play next year? Let us know in the comments!