Confidence and Pace Push Linus Karlsson’s Game Forward

Linus Karlsson’s game has been building steadily.

He’s more comfortable on the ice, he's skating faster, and is using his size and strength with more intention. He fits in and he’s making an impact.

“I'm growing into it,” Karlsson said. “I feel like it's getting better. I felt like I played pretty good the whole year, but now the goals and points started coming and it gives me some more confidence.”

Karlsson has seven points on the season, all at even strength, with three goals and one assist for four points in his last seven games. He's worked his way onto the second power play unit, earning the coaching staff’s trust, and he doesn’t take the opportunities lightly.

“It's fun to be out there and I feel like I’ve been getting some more minutes too. I just try to do my best with those minutes I get,” Karlsson said.

He’s averaging 10 minutes per game, and he’s filling the minutes he gets with consistent, detailed play. As a depth forward, ice time fluctuates and depending on the matchups he may play seven or eight minutes, but there are nights where he’s called upon for 12 or 13.

Head Coach Adam Foote sees a player carving out an identity shift-by-shift and likes Karlsson’s two-way play.

“He’s just heavy. He’s heavy on the wall. He doesn’t mind holding pucks in traffic and in contact. I felt like our practices, especially out of camp and his training in the summer, he’s got a little bit faster. He’s playing faster from leaving our zone and entering their zone,” Foote said.

“He’s always been really good the top circles-down in the offensive zone, he’s making really good reads defensively when it’s his turn to be F3 leaving the offensive zone, so, he’s more predictable, more reliable, and I think he’s got a really good knack around the net when he gets an opportunity.”

The confidence and pace were on display with his most recent goal against the Dallas Stars. After grabbing the puck off a turnover in the neutral zone, Karlsson and came flying down the left wing on an odd-man rush with Brock Boeser. With the passing lane covered, he picked his spot over Jake Oettinger’s shoulder.

“I was looking for Boes the whole time. I think the goalie saw I was looking and looking, and the pass wasn’t there. I was just shooting short side, and it was nice it went in,” Karlsson said.

Karlsson spent the offseason working on his skating, and has continued to focus on that daily.

After the Calder Cup run, it was a short offseason for the 26-year-old, but he feels the playoff experience was an integral part of him taking another step in his game and giving him confidence coming into this season.

The 6’1” Swede has leaned into using size and strength, and he’s noticed a difference from last year.

“I feel a lot stronger, that's the biggest part I think,” Karlsson said. “I'm more comfortable to be out there like and I’m getting better after every game, and I’m still growing into the league. I just try to look at video and see what I can do better every day, and that's a big part, going to the net and using my size and being strong with the puck.”

That net-front growth is something he’s committed to. He works on his net front game in practice, and you can always find Karlsson putting in extra time around the net after practice too.

Karlsson capitalized net front against the Avalanche on November 9th with a highlight reel goal. He worked his patented between-the-legs move off a rebound and flipped the puck in.

“It's a lot of doing stuff after practice,” Karlsson said. “Like today, I was tipping pucks and picking up pucks around the wall and behind the net, all the small things. I try to be close to the net all the time, and even in practice, try to go there, that's when you get better at it too. You have to do it in practice, you get more reps. Maybe, in the game, you might go there three or four times, so, it's hard to get better in the game. That's something I worked on practice and try to bring it to the games.”

Karlsson’s game is still evolving, but the coaching staff is happy with the direction he’s trending. As he continues to refine the details of his game, he continues to be a dependable presence for the Canucks.