At the end of Karlsson's first full NHL season, his coach and general manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets used the word "trustworthy" to describe the speedy forward out of Marsta, Sweden.

That praise came in the wake of a season in which Karlsson reliably filled the role of a bottom-six forward and penalty killer while also adding a little juice to the Blue Jackets second power-play unit.

Karlsson's strength lies in his ability to disrupt the opponent's offensive flow - he was tied for third on the Blue Jackets in takeaways with 42 in 2015-16 - while avoiding penalties.

Indeed, he earned just six penalty minutes during the 2015-16 season, garnering 10 votes for the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually to the NHL player exhibiting the best sportsmanship on the ice.

A second-round pick (No. 53) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Draft, Karlsson made his NHL debut on Oct. 11, 2014, and he scored his first two NHL goals two nights later, against the Buffalo Sabres.

Karlsson played 16 more games for the Ducks and on March 2, 2015 was traded to the Blue Jackets, where he made his debut on March 24, 2015, and had an assist in a 5-3 win against, coincidentally, the Ducks. He scored his first goal for Columbus on March 28, 2015, against the St. Louis Blues in the final game of the season.

Karlsson developed his game as a member of Vasteras in Sweden's second division, and he made the jump to the first-tier Swedish Hockey League as a 21-year-old during the 2013-14 season.

Karlsson, who signed a two-year contract with Columbus on June 23, 2016, also represented Sweden in the World Junior Championships, helping his team win a gold medal in 2012 and a silver medal in 2013.