Canucks prospect Linus Karlsson shines at Young Stars (VIDEOS)

Sep 20 2022, 6:30 pm

“Of course it’s nice to score, but we [lost] — that sucks.”

Linus Karlsson took the team-first approach during his post-game media availability, playing down his performance Sunday afternoon in what was the final Young Stars Classic game of the rejuvenated tournament. 

Karlsson had a prolific year in Sweden, flexing his high-end shooting, playmaking, punishing puck handling, and hockey sense in Sweden’s highest league, the SHL. Winning Rookie of the Year honours, Karlsson’s ascension up the organizational depth and prospect pool has been rapid. But with his success came pointed and legitimate questions; how will he translate to smaller ice? Can he adapt to heightened pace of play? Will he be able to use his tools in a similar way?

This tournament might have been just what Karlsson needed to prime himself for North American hockey, a learning experience where he can make adjustments, timings are dialled-in, and improvements can be felt. This, all against players who are out to prove their own mettle to the watchful eyes of the management and coaching groups taking in the game from the suit level. 

Goal scoring

A factor throughout all three games, Karlsson saved his best performance for last in an eventual 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, scoring the Vancouver Canucks’ only two goals of the contest.

Trailing by two goals late in the second, the 22-year-old winger took the game into his own hands on power play, orchestrating a masterful sequence that highlighted his sense and ability.

Starting the sequence with a one-touch pass, Karlsson nearly set up Nils Åman with a tap-in as he planted backdoor. Out of a scramble behind the net, he then identified defender Quinn Schmiemann, set to shoot in the slot. After the former Kamloops Blazer’s attempt was foiled, Karlsson made a deft shift to the net front, one-timing a centring puck on net. Unable to solve the goaltender with that attempt, he rolled off the net-front, set his arms to shoot, and took a bump pass from Åman that Karlsson quickly deposited five-hole. 

Post-game, Karlsson explained some insights he found from playing in the tournament. 

“In some places you have more time than others and that’s what I learned.”

One-touch passes, urgent shifts to high-danger areas, and quick execution on his first goal, all back up his findings. 

The former Skellefteå AIK-forward would score his second goal early in the third. After taking a slick cross-crease pass, Karlsson found himself deep in the offensive zone. Recognizing that the Oilers’ goaltender Oliver Rodrigue was of his post, he banked a shot in off his pads to tie the game at two-a-piece.  

Karlsson’s coach, Jeremy Colliton remarked that the entire sequence is more than just luck.

“Even just the goal he scored from a bad angle, it’s just knowing when to throw it in there and when a goalie might be vulnerable. That was a big goal — he kind of finds a way to put himself in those spots.”

Even Karlsson made a point of highlighting the need to play quick, a major difference from his experience in Sweden.

“It’s fast. You don’t have that much time with the puck, so you have to be quicker out there, but you can get chances from anywhere, so that’s the difference.” 

Beyond his scoring sequences, the right-handed-shooter had a couple other interesting shifts throughout this game. Funny enough, both plays are examples of his above quote — putting in practice what he has observed. 

Late in the first, along with Åman, Karlsson executed two separate give-and-go passing sequences with his countryman. At the start of the play, Karlsson pops a pass into open space, immediately launching past the oncoming defender, walking downhill with multiple defenders now behind the play, the Eksjö-native had his shot-release checked. This didn’t perturb him, however. Executing another give-and-go with Åman, Karlsson, rolled off of his check, filed through the middle of the ice, deked past a defender by pulling the puck behind their back, ultimately having his pass deflected, all while drawing a slashing penalty. 

On another play, Karlsson started the breakout with a nice pass through a forecheker’s triangle. Catching up with the play, he quickly identified the loose puck behind the net, popped his skates heel-to-heel, and was just denied on a lightning-quick wrap-around. Quickly containing the rebound, Karlsson activated low-to-high, found a wide pass seam, and hit Chad Nychuk with a pass, that he ultimately flubbed. 

 

“Like I said yesterday, he’s not just a shooter, he thinks the game well, so it’s just a matter of finding a way to get himself in that half of the rink where he is super dangerous, but I thought — a good few days for him,” said Colliton. 

Here are some clips of Karlsson doing just that — starting breakouts exploiting his passing ability. 

Imminent Future

“Of course I’m very excited to get in there,” Karlsson said of Canucks training camp, which starts this week in Whistler. “Show how good I am– try to get a spot there.”

Adamant that his goal is to win a spot out of training camp, no one will fault the Swede’s intentions to leave a good impression in the coming weeks. While he will need to continue to work on keeping his feet moving, most of the elements that allowed for such a special 2021-2022 SHL season showed in Sunday’s game. There will be more adjustments, but players of Karlsson’s ilk; high-end sense, offensive tools, and ability to make stops in the defensive zone, typically find their way in the North American professional game. 

Daniel GeeDaniel Gee

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