The offseason is an important time for any professional athlete.
It is no different for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen and forward Linus Karlsson, who both hope to take strides in their game by preparing throughout the summer months, and leading into the fall.
“Every year is different, every year is a new challenge. You really never know what’s ahead of you until you’re there, so preparation is key,” Lankinen said. “Focus on what you can control, and that’s my preparation, my getting ready for the season and even my mindset.”
For Karlsson, this year's offseason will be about the details and fine-tuning specific areas of his game that can lead to him taking impactful steps when he takes the ice in September.
“You can work more on your details. I want to be stronger and faster and everything like that, so hopefully I can have a really good summer here and improve my offseason,” Karlsson said.
Lankinen also hopes to improve in the smaller areas of his game, as he believes that it remains a pinnacle to building a strong foundation that elevates his skill development and increases his confidence on the ice.
“The best players, they’re the best because they do small things better than everybody else,” Lankinen said. “That’s my mindset too, if I can just hammer my foundation, keep making it stronger and stronger, my games can elevate.”
Karlsson spends his offseason training in Sweden, where he is part of a group of many NHLers that work together during the summer months and provide an environment with a high level of competition and drive.
“We are a good group, and we’re pushing each other, so that's [what] I think has helped me get to where I am today, so I am just going to keep doing that,” Karlsson said.
While both Karlsson and Lankinen will be training hard this offseason, it is just as important for them to spend quality time with friends and family as they reset before the heavy travel of the seasons starts again.
“I do believe there is a lot of potential where being home, being a dad, being a husband takes you away from hockey a little bit, and that saves you energy because when you show up to the rink you can be a hockey player,” Lankinen said. “I’m going to do everything I can, but there’s the other side I can balance it out with being a dad.
Karlsson also has plans to spend time with his friends and family, as he splits his time between the south and north of Sweden.
“I go down to my family far south in Landsbro,” Karlsson said. “It’s probably later during the summer when we start skating a little bit more, I’m going to be more up north, but I’m going to try to be in the early summer, try to be with my family.”
With only two months left of the offseason, both Lankinen and Karlsson are well into their offseason preparation, and on track for a new season of Canucks hockey come September.
Listen to this and much more as Karlsson and Lankinen join Chris Faber on the latest episode of the Canucks Insider Podcast.
