The Vancouver Canucks have added another Swedish forward, announcing a two-year contract for Linus Karlsson. The 22-year-old Karlsson is signing his entry-level deal after exploding onto the SHL scene this season. General manager Patrik Allvin released a statement on the deal:
We are excited to officially welcome Linus to Vancouver. He is a good goal scorer who plays a solid two-way game, and he is coming off an impressive rookie season in Sweden. We look forward to seeing him develop his game in North America.
Named rookie of the year, Karlsson scored 26 goals and 46 points in 52 games for Skelleftea AIK. That tied him for second in the entire league in goals, just a year removed from putting up similar totals at the Allsvenskan level, Sweden’s second tier. The young forward, originally selected by the San Jose Sharks, was acquired by the Canucks in a 2019 trade for Jonathan Dahlen.
Notably, Karlsson would be one of the players affected by the new transfer agreement with Sweden. Previously, because he is over the age of 21, he would have been able to sign his entry-level deal and be assigned to the minor leagues. Now, with that age limit raised to 24, he’ll have to be offered back to Skelleftea if he fails to make the Canucks roster, as he is still under contract in the SHL through 2022-23. Despite that, Allvin’s statement suggests that he might be playing in North America next year, meaning Vancouver may have worked out an agreement with his Swedish club.
Either way, getting him signed now was a necessary move for the Canucks, as Karlsson’s exclusive draft rights would have expired in just a few days. If not signed by June 1, he would have become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign a similar entry-level contract with any team in the league. Even if he does spend next season overseas–something which is clearly not a sure thing yet–getting him under contract will keep him under the Canucks’ control for years to come.
Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reported this morning that a deal was imminent.
Just a year younger than Elias. Could be a good mentor/adjustment teammate and motivator for the kid.
Hope this one works out for the Nucks.