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Raise your hand if you had heard of Melker Karlsson before the year began. There aren’t many people who had heard of the young Swede before this NHL season, but Karlsson is making quite the name for himself with the San Jose Sharks.
Karlsson, who played the previous four seasons for Skelleftea AIK in the Swedish Hockey League, has been a revelation for a Sharks team that has longed for scoring depth. Karlsson scored his eighth goal of the year, his first career game-winning goal, in helping the Sharks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 at SAP Center Saturday night. The win was the third consecutive victory for San Jose, and all of them have been against Stanley Cup contenders.
Karlsson was an undrafted free agent who signed a one-year deal with San Jose in May. He began the 2014-15 season with the Sharks’ top development affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, and had 10 points in 20 games. He was called up to San Jose in December and played in his first career NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 9. Karlsson had a nice debut with one assist and was a plus-two in the Sharks’ 5-2 win over the Oilers.
It took Karlsson some time to get going, but he scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 22 against the Anaheim Ducks. After the new year, Karlsson put on an impressive scoring display. During a five-game stretch from Jan. 3-10, Karlsson scored a goal in each one of those games. His scoring streak tied the Sharks’ franchise record for consecutive games with a goal by a rookie with Jeff Friesen.
Karlsson’s play has caught the eye of head coach Todd McLellan as Karlsson has been elevated up the lineup. After beginning his tenure on the third line, he now finds himself alongside Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski on the Sharks’ top line. Through 21 games in San Jose, Karlsson has been a steady producer with 13 points (eight goals and five assists) and is a plus-four. His contributions have been a big boost to a Sharks team that was searching for depth and young players at the beginning of the season.
After being an unknown in December, Karlsson has established himself as a consistent performer for a San Jose team that is looking to make a strong playoff push. Karlsson’s play has allowed the Sharks to spread their scoring throughout their lineup better, and San Jose can now roll three solid lines on a nightly basis. While nobody knew of the “Melkman,” as some have called him, before the season, plenty are taking of notice of his talents now.
Patrick Leiva is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleiva4 and add him to your network at Google.
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