Following last season’s successful run at the Calder Cup, Linus Karlsson had one goal on his mind throughout the summer: it’s time to make the Vancouver Canucks’ roster.

Training camp posed as an opportunity for every Canucks player to prove themselves and make a solid first impression for the upcoming season. However, it was exceptionally important at this training camp because Vancouver has a brand-new coaching staff. With a new coaching staff comes new systems for players to learn and instill in their game if they want to make the roster.

“I think I did well,” Karlsson told CanucksArmy. “I tried to show them who I am and what kind of player I am, and I think I did that by battling hard. It’s gonna be fun to play some games here, to show them that I really want a spot on this team.”

The Canucks acquired Karlsson in February of 2019 from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Jonathan Dahlen – who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for fan favourite Alex Burrows. The 6’1″, 178-pound winger made the trip overseas in 2022 to pursue an NHL career.

Karlsson spent the first year playing all 72 games in Abbotsford. In the 2023-24 season, Karlsson got his first taste of NHL action, playing four regular season games and two postseason games. However, it was the 2024-25 season that proved he could be a player for this organization.

The right-shot Swede split the season between the NHL (23 games) and AHL (32 games), but did his best work in Abbotsford’s postseason run. Karlsson led the entire AHL in goals (14) and points (26) en route to the organization’s first Calder Cup in history. He clutched up when the games mattered most, scoring five goals and 10 points in the final five games of the Calder Cup Final, and left us with the infamous quote, “We’re going to be winners forever.”

Following the successful run, Karlsson had his eyes set on making the jump to the NHL for a permanent role. So, how did that change his offseason preparation from previous years?

“I mean, every offseason has been big for me,” Karlsson stated. “My skating has always been a little bit of a problem, but I think I’ve improved it last year, and I feel [it’s] even stronger this year. I just tried to work really hard to get that edge in my skating. I think I have a lot of good things in my game. I’m just trying to show them that they can’t take me out of the lineup. That’s just my goal. Like, it’s time to make that roster, now. I felt pretty good this camp. So I’ll just try to bring that recent confidence into the next coming days.”

Looking at the Canucks’ roster, there looks to be two open forward spots Karlsson could potentially earn. But ultimately, he’s just focused on proving himself day in and day out to just fit in and show the Canucks brass that he can be used wherever the team sees fit based on his playing style.

“I think I can play wherever,” Karlsson shared. “I can be a gritty player, strong on the walls, be a good net front guy. I mean, I can play whatever they want me to play. I’m just trying to fit in and try to find a spot for myself there. Then it’s up to the coaches and where they want to play me. I’m just going to do my best and show them what kind of player I am. Like, go to the net, play hard, good against the walls. I think I’ve improved my skating too, and just want to keep building on that. So now I think I’m hopefully in a good spot. We will see what’s happening in the next couple of days.”

Despite his outstanding postseason, Karlsson’s promotion is far from guaranteed. He has fellow Abbotsford teammates, Aatu Räty, Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson, as well as new faces Braeden Cootes and Viltali Kravtsov to compete with – most of whom also impressed during training camp. But how does Karlsson feel he can separate himself from that group?

“All my goals I score around the net. That’s my like, what they say over here ‘bread and butter’, you know?,” Karlsson explained. “So, I mean, that’s something I want to bring, and I can bring that too. I think they need that. They want hard drives to the net, and that’s what I do. So I’ll try to show that in practice and in the games coming up that I’m a big power forward who plays the physical game too. Be good on the walls and always good defensively. I’m going to try to be the player that they want me to.”

Karlsson shared that he enjoyed a week and a half off in the summer before he was back out on the ice to ramp up his skating for the 2025-26 season. Looking to improve his game, he turned to the Sedins for guidance on how to enhance his skills over the summer and shared some of the confidence he built during his late stint in the NHL last season.

“I talked a lot to Sedins,” Karlsson shared. “They want me to be the same player. I think the last 10 games last year, when I played up [in Vancouver], I think I played probably my best hockey. I had really good games, and I got some confidence from that, and brought down to the playoffs in Abby. So, I mean, I just tried to find that kind of game, and go hard to the net. I mean, it’s not about the points. Just try to show [that] I’m willing to do whatever it takes to to play in the NHL, right?”

The Canucks had their first preseason game on Sunday night, but Karlsson was not in the lineup. He will have his next opportunity on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. If he is in the lineup for that game, it will be his first opportunity to show the Canucks that he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL, in a rink he’s very familiar with, the Abbotsford Centre.

The power forward’s style of play, characterized by a gritty tenacity and a willingness to go hard to the net, is a strong suit of his game and something this coaching staff is looking for. But one thing is for certain: Karlsson thinks he’s ready and that it’s time for him to make that roster.

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