While he wasn’t named to their First Six in the summer, Karlsson never doubted he would be on the team. His overall body of work certainly speaks for itself, as Karlsson is a three-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman in addition to his newest point milestone.
At his only other Olympic Winter Games in 2014, Karlsson led all players in points (4G-4A-8PTS) en route to a silver medal in 2014 as the tournament’s “Best Defensemen”. Sweden lost to Sidney Crosby and Team Canada in the final.
“Yeah, not very good memories about that,” Karlsson said with a laugh .”But no, I had great memories from Sochi. I think it was one of the best experiences of my hockey career. I know we lost in the final with a very depleted lineup. So, very proud of the accomplishment that we had there. I think looking back at it, we got the most out of everyone, and ended up getting a silver. Overall experience was amazing. And obviously, something that I’ve missed for the past 10-12 years.”
But more recently, it’s been impressive to watch how Karlsson regrouped after a challenging season on both an individual and team level to get his game back to that world-class level.
“He's been fantastic,” Bryan Rust said. “He's been super confident with the puck. He's been making a lot of plays. He's been playing really well on defense for us. And you can see that he's just having a lot of fun out there.
“He's a guy who usually has fun, and he usually has a smile on his face, and he's having a good time, but you can tell how well he's playing, and he's kind of just feeding off that. He just keeps going and going.”
President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said he had a long meeting with Karlsson after last season ended, saying his message to the blueliner was that his actions have to match his ambitions.
“We expect him to be one of the people that pulls us from where we're at and into contention,” Dubas said. “I think he showed throughout the year that he has another level to him, at times playing for us, certainly playing for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off. ... It's emblematic of the rest of the group as well. There were moments of great play with too many inconsistent. We have to push him to get there.”
So, Karlsson had a productive summer in Sweden with the trainer he has worked with since his rookie season. Karlsson called coming into Pittsburgh and showing he can still be a top player in this league, along with earning the chance to represent Sweden, his biggest motivators.
“I wasn’t too worried about circumstantial stuff,” Karlsson said. “I was excited about coming back here, getting my oldest into school for her first year, and meeting all the new staff and coaches. My mindset has been very focused all along, and it still is.”
Karlsson has thrived under the new coaching staff, with Head Coach Dan Muse deploying him in every situation. “We wanted to give guys opportunities,” he said. So, in addition to quarterbacking the top power-play unit, Karlsson has been a fixture on the penalty kill.
“Karl is Karl. He’s good at everything,” Ryan Shea said with a smile. “He’s such a smart player that he can play in any role. I think he’s actually enjoying the (penalty kill). It’s just another opportunity for him.”
The throughline of everything that Karlsson does is his skating.
“It's one thing when you're coaching against him or you’re watching him in the league. Then it's another thing when you see it firsthand,” Muse said. “The skating on both sides of the puck, like, I don't think he gets enough credit on the defensive side of how he can use his legs to be able to close and take away time and space, and he does it really well. Then obviously, there’s the offensive side and the contributions that he can make.”
Not to mention what Karlsson brings off the ice. Going into his first season, I wrote about how Karlsson epitomizes a phrase that Swedes use for people who are from the friendly city of Gothenberg, where he played his junior hockey. It is go och glad, which translates to ‘good and happy.’
Karlsson makes everyone around him instantly feel at ease, quick with smiles, laughs, and quips. He’s confident and self-assured, but also down-to-earth and personable. The guys in that room love having him as a teammate for everything that he brings.
“Karl’s awesome. Just a big personality, fun personality, outgoing, and always wants to have a good time,” Rust said before adding with a laugh, “He has some quirks, but we all do, so it’s fun. He’s always been very enjoyable to be around.”
“He's been great,” Sidney Crosby agreed. “He’s a special player. He's someone who can make something out of nothing. He's a ton of fun to play with.”
