The Vancouver Canucks took another major step forward in their rebuild on Friday. The club indicated that Linus Karlsson will be part of its future moving forward.
The Canucks rewarded the 26-year-old with a contract extension. The deal is a two-year pact worth $4.5 million. The deal works out to a $2.25 million AAV, a perfectly manageable cap hit.
Karlsson signed a one-year deal last offseason worth $775K. The former third-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2018 NHL Draft has risen in the Canucks’ depth chart this season. The unfortunate amount of injuries and inconsistency has landed the Swedish winger on the club’s top line.
In 36 games this season, Karlsson has scored nine goals and seven assists for 16 points. While the offensive totals may not be mind-shocking, he’s been one of the Canucks’ most consistent forwards. He’s scored big goals and, most importantly, has remained healthy the bulk of the season.
Karlsson has found a spot lately with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk on the Canucks’ top unit. That situation prompted the team to extend him for two more seasons. It’s worth pointing out that Karlsson was on pace to become a UFA this offseason.
The deal now gives Karlsson and the Canucks two more seasons to figure out if he really is part of the club’s long-term future.
Canucks Hoping Karlsson Can Make Most of Show-Me Deal
Karlsson’s extension this season is pretty much a show-me deal. In other words, both Karlsson and the Canucks are betting on Karlsson being a good fit for the team. If that’s the case, both sides could discuss a long-term extension.
At the moment, there is no indication that Karlsson is a flash in the pan. He showed encouraging signs last season, scoring three goals and six points in 23 games. That performance earned him a shot on the main club this season.
With injuries becoming a major issue yet again, the club will be hoping that Karlsson can stick in the top six.
Vancouver Dealing with Another Round of Injuries
The injury bug has been a major factor for the Canucks this season. Most recently, the aforementioned bug has claimed newly-acquired center Marco Rossi and forward Conor Garland. While neither forward should miss an extended period, the injury bug opens an opportunity for others like Karlsson.
Beyond Rossi and Garland, the Canucks remain without forwards Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger. The lack of manpower in their forward group has been one of the major factors hindering the Canucks’ success this season.
Hopefully, consistent players like Linus Karlsson can buy the club enough time to get regulars back in the lineup. Vancouver has pretty much punted on the season. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be an opportunity to set the foundations for a contending club.
The Canucks could be back in the playoff hunt sooner rather than later. The club remains talented. Plus, possible deals could bring in additional reinforcements to accelerate the team’s current rebuild.
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