Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
Any aspiring Calder Cup championship group wants a game-breaker, and the Abbotsford Canucks have one in Linus Karlsson.
The 25-year-old ahead will certainly be atop the precedence checklist for the Charlotte Checkers as they put together to face the Canucks within the Calder Cup Finals. Recreation 1 of the best-of-seven collection is Friday at Bojangles Coliseum.
If there may be a solution to containing Karlsson, the Tucson Roadrunners, Coachella Valley Firebirds, Colorado Eagles and Texas Stars all would have cherished to have discovered it. Karlsson burned all 4 groups for not less than one purpose on this Abbotsford journey to the Finals. Via 18 video games, his 9 objectives tie him for the Calder Cup Playoff lead, and he ranks third in postseason scoring with 17 factors enjoying the suitable facet of Abbotsford’s prime line with Phil Di Giuseppe and Max Sasson. His work has additionally helped to gas a potent Abbotsford energy play that has clicked at 22.0 p.c this postseason.
This playoff manufacturing has adopted a standout common season wherein Karlsson got here again able to go after spending the ultimate month in Vancouver, the place he registered six factors (three objectives, three assists) in 23 NHL video games this season. Karlsson stepped again into the Abbotsford lineup for the ultimate weekend of the common season and produced 5 factors (two objectives, three assists) in a fast highway swing by way of Coachella Valley and Ontario.
“I’ve tried to go to the soiled areas,” Karlsson defined, “and the puck finds my stick. It’s enjoyable to attain.”
However this type of manufacturing has been about greater than the puck discovering his stick. Karlsson does go to the arduous areas of the ice. He’s not hesitant to make use of his high quality shot, both. In a mixed 50 regular-season and playoff contests, he has averaged 2.94 pictures per recreation. And with a mixed taking pictures share of 21.8 p.c, that has been a robust play for him.
Nonetheless, all of that offensive success apart, uncommon is the participant who is ready to come out of the AHL and instantly get top-six alternatives on the NHL degree. Whereas being in Abbotsford affords him an opportunity to drive the group offensively, he averaged practically 11 minutes of ice time per recreation with Vancouver. And at the beginning, a participant on the NHL degree should maintain defensive tasks. That mixture of roles is one thing that has allowed Karlsson to maintain his offensive play sharp whereas additionally rounding out a two-way recreation constructed for the NHL.
“I’ve been up now each final 12 months and this 12 months,” Karlsson stated, “and I’m attempting to develop into the league just a little bit extra. I really feel such as you get extra confidence. You begin to know the blokes and really feel just a little extra snug on the market.”
Chosen by San Jose within the third spherical of the 2018 NHL Draft, Karlsson landed with the Vancouver group in a 2019 deal for Jonathan Dahlen. After profitable rookie of the 12 months honors within the Swedish Hockey League in 2021-22, Karlsson made his approach to Abbotsford and produced a mixed 47 objectives in his first two AHL seasons. Now he has an opportunity to win a Calder Cup – in addition to to additional his case for full-time NHL work subsequent season. Coaching camp, in spite of everything, is just three months away, and going by way of the trials of the AHL postseason calls for a big bodily, psychological and emotional contribution – however it may be a journey that propels a participant to the NHL to remain.
Karlsson and his teammates have been by way of a spread of conditions during the last two months. They’ve twice staved off elimination, winner-take-all victories over Tucson and Colorado. Texas pulled them right into a bodily, grinding six-game battle within the Western Convention Finals. And extra challenges are seemingly on their approach in opposition to Charlotte, however because the group ready for the lengthy flight east to start the collection, Karlsson believed that they’re prepared.
“I believe we’ve been getting higher each recreation,” Karlsson stated, “and each time we’ve actually wanted to step up, we’ve completed that. We’ve had some ups and downs, for positive, however each time we’ve had a foul recreation, I believe we’ve stepped up the sport after and confirmed how good we’re.”
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is an everyday contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
