Linus
Karlsson
C · VAN · Balanced · Very good
- PAL
- 77
- WAR
- 0.9
- Value
- 90
- PTS
- 35
2025-26№ 172 / 615
Linus Karlsson (Vancouver Canucks) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Linus Karlsson
#94CPlays: Winger · 7% of faceoffs
Vancouver Canucks
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 81 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : November 15, 1999 · Landsbro, Sweden
Drafted : 2018 · SJS · round 3, pick #87
Contract : $2,250,000 · 2026-27 → 2027-28 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Vancouver Canucks | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| 2025-26 | Vancouver Canucks | 79 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 42 |
| 2024-25 | Vancouver Canucks | 23 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | Vancouver Canucks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 125 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 56 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Vancouver Canucks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Playoff totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Linus Karlsson: our analysis
2025-26 season: 79 GP, 15 G, 20 A, 35 PTS, -28 +/-, 12:31 TOI. WAR 0.9 (172nd of 615) · PAL 77, very good.
In 2025-26, Linus Karlsson, 26, posts a PAL Rating of 77 out of 100 (very good), and his WAR of 0.9 ranks 172nd among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: discipline (95, among the best in the league), creation (88, among the best in the league) and penalty kill (74, above average).
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: penalties (+1.7); his biggest cost: finishing (-1.6).
His WAR went from -0.1 in 2024-25 to 0.9.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 90 (exceptional value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Linus Karlsson's story
Born 16 November 1999, Karlsson cut his teeth in the Boro/Vetlanda system, moving through junior ranks before stepping into senior hockey in 2015–16 in Sweden’s fourth tier. Those formative seasons shaped a centre who values spatial awareness and playmaking over flash, learning to generate chances for others while staying available for rebounds and second opportunities.
He joined the Karlskrona HK organization for 2017–18 and made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League that same season. His draft stock rose quickly: San Jose selected him 87th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. On 25 February 2019 his NHL rights were traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Jonathan Dahlén, a move that set the stage for his move toward North American hockey.
A standout campaign with Skellefteå AIK in 2021–22 earned him the SHL Rookie of the Year award. Vancouver signed him to a two-year entry-level contract on 27 May 2022. He eventually made his NHL debut on 16 November 2023 against the Calgary Flames, skating 11:54 and registering three shots in a 5–2 loss.
Karlsson notched his first NHL point and goal on 29 January 2025 versus the Nashville Predators; that goal stood as the game-winner in a 3–1 Canucks victory. In March 2025 he agreed to a one-year extension with Vancouver. On 23 June 2025 he captured the Calder Cup as a member of the Abbotsford Canucks, finishing the playoffs as the leading scorer with 14 goals and 26 points.
His game is straightforward and team-first: a centre who excels at finding soft ice, supporting teammates in puck cycles and finishing chances when they arrive. He’s the kind of player coaches deploy to maintain structure while still providing a scoring touch in crucial moments.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 14:22
- PP TOI/GP
- 1:34
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:12
- Pts/GP
- 0.50
- EV points
- 9
- Hits
- 21
- Blocks
- 4
- Takeaways
- 6
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 45.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 21.6 %
- Faceoffs
- 44.4 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
32between 16 and 47 (80% range)
- Goals
- 13
- Assists
- 19
- Games
- 70
So far: 10 pts in 20 games. The team has played 20 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.45 pts per game (last season: 0.44).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Slightly up
- Points per game: 0.26 in 24-25, 0.50 in 26-27
Outlook, age included
↗ Slightly upAge 26: prime years
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 54 %
74
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 50
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 64
- Confidence 60 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 67
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 60
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 78
- Confidence 60 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 74
- Confidence 39 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 87
- Confidence 60 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 78
- Confidence 54 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 80
- Confidence 54 %
- DF
- Defense
- 77
- Confidence 50 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 85
- Confidence 14 %
- EX
- Experience
- 53
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating50
- Top speed (35 %)34.9 · 55
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)3.693 · 61
- Distance /60 (20 %)15.8 · 60
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.6 · 52
ST — Strength64
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.079 · 75
- Body mass (50 %)-1.23 · 60
EN — Endurance67
- Ice time per game (45 %)12.9 · 64
- Total ice time (20 %)957 · 72
- Shift length (15 %)42.5 · 65
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)13 · 71
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.694 · 64
DU — Durability60
- Share of games played (100 %)0.684 · 60
CK — Checking78
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.024 · 78
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)4.637 · 79
- Season volume (10 %)4.431 · 78
FG — Fighting74
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.808 · 74
DI — Discipline87
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.069 · 88
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.68 · 72
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.086 · 89
PA — Passing78
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.718 · 78
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.476 · 74
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.087 · 80
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.634 · 60
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.628 · 82
SC — Scoring80
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.892 · 78
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.953 · 84
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.359 · 72
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.52 · 82
- xG per shot (10 %)0.085 · 84
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)13.1 · 79
DF — Defense77
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.029 · 77
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.234 · 87
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.643 · 73
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.025 · 74
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.765 · 66
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)56.5 · 81
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.467 · 73
PS — Penalty shot85
- Shootouts (60 %)33.6 · 86
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience53
- Career regular-season games (65 %)66
- Career playoff games (25 %)21
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall74
- SC · Scoring (20 %)80
- PA · Passing (20 %)78
- DF · Defense (20 %)77
- SK · Skating (12 %)50
- EN · Endurance (8 %)67
- DI · Discipline (5 %)87
- ST · Strength (3 %)64
- CK · Checking (2 %)78
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 74 | 50 | 80 | 77 |
| 2024-25 | 68 | 54 | 77 | 78 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.9
wins above replacement
172 of 615
PAL Rating
77/ 100
Performance · Very good
97 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
90/ 100
Exceptional value
0.78 M$ · expected PAL 32
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 71
- Defense
- 69
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 64
- Creation
- 88
- Shooting
- 66
- Possession
- 70
- Defense
- 61
- Discipline
- 95
- Power play
- 39
- Penalty kill
- 74
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
92/ 100
Elite
better than 92% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
92/ 100
Elite
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
67/ 100
Average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 32 of 424 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 57
- Shot selection
- 82
- Penalties drawn
- 93
- Puck management
- 33
Defense
- Takeaways
- 60
- Discipline
- 56
- Safe zone exits
- 62
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.9
wins above replacement
-0.2 to 2.3 — 90% interval
172 of 615 forwards
+4.9 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +1.5
- EV defense
- +0.6
- Power play
- +0.2
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- -1.6
- Penalties
- +1.7
- Average → replacement
- +2.5
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | VAN | 79 | 0.9 | -0.2 to 2.3 | 172/615 |
| 2024-25 | VAN | 19 | -0.1 | -0.5 to 0.3 | 443/596 |
| 2023-24 | VAN | 4 | -0.0 | -0.3 to 0.1 | 415/608 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 132.2 km/h51st percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 34.0 km/h20th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 822nd percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 40.7 %36th percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 65.8 km63rd percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.19 km37th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.4 %21st percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.8 %83rd percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 40.5 %40th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 3378th percentile | 474th percentile | 12.1 %46th percentile |
| High danger | 1174th percentile | 157th percentile | 9.1 %20th percentile |
| Mid range | 1692nd percentile | 288th percentile | 12.5 %53rd percentile |
| Long range | 383rd percentile | 199th percentile | 33.3 %97th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
PHI
EDM
WPG
ANA
TOR
SJS
MIN
DET
CAR
TBL
FLA
NYI
NYR
NJD
VGK
CGYLinus Karlsson: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Linus Karlsson have in 2026-27?
Linus Karlsson has 4 goals and 10 points (6 assists) in 20 games in 2026-27.
How old is Linus Karlsson?
Linus Karlsson is 26 years old: he was born on November 16, 1999.
How tall is Linus Karlsson, and how much does he weigh?
Linus Karlsson is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 179 lb (81 kg).
Where is Linus Karlsson from?
Sweden: Linus Karlsson was born in Landsbro, Sweden.
What team does Linus Karlsson play for?
Linus Karlsson plays for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL, at C, wearing number 94.
Is Linus Karlsson injured?
No: Linus Karlsson is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Linus Karlsson?
Linus Karlsson produced 0.9 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 172nd of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 77 out of 100: very good for his position.
How much does Linus Karlsson make?
Linus Karlsson earns $775K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 90 out of 100 (exceptional value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Linus Karlsson's contract end?
Linus Karlsson's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Linus Karlsson overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 90 out of 100 (exceptional value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Linus Karlsson a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 172nd of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Linus Karlsson played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Linus Karlsson has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist).
What are Linus Karlsson's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Linus Karlsson has 125 games, 22 goals, 29 assists and 51 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 35 points in 79 games.
Where was Linus Karlsson drafted?
Linus Karlsson was drafted 87th overall (round 3) by San Jose Sharks in 2018.
Is Linus Karlsson better at home or on the road?
At home: in 2026-27, he averages 0.56 points per game at home (5 in 9 games) and 0.45 on the road (5 in 11 games).
How does Linus Karlsson perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Linus Karlsson has 2 games and 0 points in his career. His pace (0.00 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.41).
Which player is most similar to Linus Karlsson?
Ryan Hartman: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Ryan Hartman's page →Is Linus Karlsson a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 32 points in 2026-27, or 0.46 points per game.
What is Linus Karlsson's nationality?
Linus Karlsson is Swedish.
What awards has Linus Karlsson won?
SHL Rookie of the Year — 2021–22 ; Calder Cup playoffs top scorer — 2025 (14 goals, 26 points).
How many championships has Linus Karlsson won?
1: Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks — 23 June 2025.
Where did Linus Karlsson play before turning pro?
Played junior hockey with the Boro/Vetlanda club; began senior-level play (fourth tier of Swedish ice hockey) in 2015–16; signed with the Karlskrona HK organization for 2017–18 and made his SHL debut with Karlskrona in 2017–18; had a successful 2021–22 season with Skellefteå AIK..
How many points is Linus Karlsson projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 32 points in 70 games in 2026-27 (16 to 47 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Vancouver Canucks teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)