Linus Karlsson’s path to the Vancouver Canucks has turned into a tidy success story, but the stranger part of his draft-day lineage goes back years before he ever wore a Canucks sweater.
The move that landed Karlsson in Vancouver was simple enough. In February 2019, the Canucks got the now 26-year-old right-winger from San Jose in a straight one-for-one deal for Jonathan Dahlen.
That trade has aged well for Vancouver. Karlsson has already played 106 NHL games for the Canucks, and he was a key part of Abbotsford’s run to the 2025 Calder Cup.
Last season, he scored 15 goals and even picked up a rookie of the year vote.
Dahlen, meanwhile, lasted one season in AHL Utica before becoming unhappy with his role. Vancouver moved on, sent him to San Jose, and the Sharks got a year out of him before he headed back to Sweden, where he has spent the last four years in a frontline role for Timra IK.
But the real oddity in Karlsson’s story is how the pick that became him wound its way through the league.
More than a decade ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs had to send a third-round draft pick to New Jersey as compensation for hiring Lou Lamoriello as their new general manager. At the time, it was just a 2018 third-rounder with no player attached.
The Devils then bundled that pick with a second-rounder and sent both to Washington for Marcus Johansson. Before the Capitals could even use the draft capital, they flipped the third-rounder to Chicago for Michal Kempny.
The pick kept moving. On draft day in 2018, Chicago sent a fifth-round pick to Arizona to swap third-round selections. Arizona then moved the original pick to San Jose in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round picks in that draft.
That’s where Karlsson entered the picture. The Sharks used the 87th overall selection to take him out of Karlskrona of the Swedish Junior league.
Eight years later, that looks like a strong piece of business. Only seven players taken in the third round that year have appeared in more NHL games than Karlsson.
Jack McBain and Conor Dewar, both Minnesota picks, lead the group with 316 games apiece. Ty Emberson has 178, Lukas Dostal 177, Jordan Harris 172, Oskar Back 145 and Jakub Lauko 139.
Karlsson is right behind them.
The Canucks’ own third-round pick that year went to Tyler Madden, who was later dealt to Los Angeles in the Tyler Toffoli trade. Madden has yet to play an NHL game and spent last season with Straubing in the German Elite League.
So yes, Linus Karlsson was once traded for Jonathan Dahlen. Sort of. And in a much stranger sense, he was also part of a pick chain that traces back to Lou Lamoriello.
In Other News...
Canucks Suddenly Have A Contract Question Fans Cant Ignore
For a team that spent plenty of time searching for value wherever it could find it, the Canucks have a few contracts that look better now than they probably did when they were signed. Linus Karlsson and Max Sasson have both given Vancouver useful minutes in roles that do not ask them to be stars, while Filip Hroneks deal still looks sensible in a market where dependable defensemen rarely come cheap. It is the kind of mix every front office hopes for: young players outperforming modest expectations, and a top-end piece holding steady without becoming a cap headache.
Karlssons rise has been especially notable because he has turned into more than just a depth option, and Sasson has shown enough to look like a real part of the forward mix going forward. Hronek remains the most interesting name in the group because his value is tied not just to his play, but to how the organization sees him fitting into the bigger picture after the rosters recent changes. The contract itself may be manageable, but the questions around what comes next for him are the ones that will keep hanging over the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Two Young Canucks Suddenly Carry Bigger Pressure Than Fans Realize
The Canucks are using this season as a long look at the next layer of their roster, and that puts a little more weight on two young players than casual observers might realize. Nikita Tolopilo and Victor Mancini are both in the mix as the club sorts out which prospects can grow into real NHL pieces, with the organization trying to separate short-term depth from players who can handle a bigger role down the road.
Tolopilos challenge is straightforward: show he can be more than just depth in goal and give Vancouver a reason to keep him around for a longer look. Mancini has a bit more breathing room after his two-year contract extension, but he still has to sharpen his puck decisions and become steadier in his own end if he wants to turn that security into an everyday job on the blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Prospect Brooks Rogowski Is Giving Vancouver Fans Real Hope
Brooks Rogowski has been one of the more encouraging names for Vancouver fans to follow this week, with the Canucks prospect scoring in consecutive games for USA Blue at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He has chipped in two goals and an assist in wins over Sweden and Finland, and the production has come alongside the kind of detail work that tends to matter most in these evaluations.
Rogowski is getting positive marks for the defensive side of his game, his faceoff ability and his physical presence, all traits that can help a player carve out a bottom-six role. The showcase is still just one step in the process, but it is the kind of step that can move a prospect closer to a World Junior roster spot when December arrives. [Read more 🡒]