Canucks: How Linus Karlsson answered leadership challenge in Abbotsford
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Linus Karlsson was challenged this AHL season to be a leader for the Abbotsford Canucks.
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The directive came from rookie head coach Manny Malhotra, who believed the Swedish winger could lead by example to motivate a group of younger prospects. It paid off handsomely both individually and collectively.
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The Vancouver Canucks ' affiliate used a franchise best 44-24-0-4 record as a springboard for postseason success and its first best-of-seven Western Conference final series appearance against the Texas Stars. It opens Thursday at the Abbotsford Centre.
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Karlsson turned 23 goals in 32 regular-season AHL games into seven playoff goals in 12 outings, which is tied for the league lead. It was just another example of Malhotra pressing all the right motivation buttons.
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'He's pushing me to be more of a leader and that's helping me more in my game,' the 25-year-old Swedish winger told Postmedia. 'Make sure I'm on guys, set screens, be around the net and be good defensively.'
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If that isn't enough, getting master-class tutelage from Henrik and Daniel Sedin allowed Karlsson to improve pace and net presence at the NHL level to look like a roster mainstay for the parent Canucks next season.
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'Both Daniel and Hank have been incredible ever since I came here,' stressed Karlsson, who signed a one-year $775,000 US extension March 14 and won't be waiver exempt in 2025-26. 'I was more of a half-wall guy, and the power play and working down low have been a good fit.
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'And that's where Daniel and Hank have been good with details around the net, tips, and finding the soft areas. That's where I will grow the most.'
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Karlsson scored twice Monday in a 5-0 series-clinching road win over the Colorado Eagles to advance to the conference final. He opened scoring on the power play late in the first period by taking a cross-ice feed in the high slot, fending off a defender, and picking the high far side with a snap shot.
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He then gave Abbotsford a four-goal cushion early in the third period by taking a drop pass at pace, trying to get a shot through a defender, and then battling the blueliner for puck possession before jamming it home. It was tenacity and finish leadership by example.
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Maybe we can dial this leadership dynamic back to Karlsson's sensational SHL rookie season with Skelleftea AIK. On a veteran-laden team, he struck for seven goals in his first 12 games and eclipsed Elias Pettersson 's first-year mark with 26 goals in 52 games.
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