Gustav Karlsson is a mobile winger that always looks for opportunities to put the puck in the net. He’s good at creating chances off the rush. Every time he crosses the offensive blue line with the puck on his stick he looks for passing lanes or a way to challenge the defensive zone coverage to create a quality offensive chance. He has an effective shot, both when he releases a quick wrister and when he winds up for a powerful slap shot. Defensively he’s okay, but needs to work on the nuances of his defensive game. At times he can over-pursue the puck, zeroing in on whoever has control of it and allow an opposing player to get open in space. This will be exploited by better competition and if he doesn’t clean it up he may become a bit of a defensive liability when he’s on the ice. He does try to get into shooting and passing lanes, but in that can create gaps in his own coverage by committing too much to one player. His physicality is an issue, purely based on his strength. He’s not a physical player by nature but will need to add weight to his frame so he can easily fight through contact and get to open spaces so he can use his shot to his advantage. He still needs to work more on his skating to reach higher speed over both short and longer distances, too. He has a solid foundation to build on and if he takes a big step next season, he should be on track to eventually fight for an NHL spot in the future. He has the offensive skillset to produce at any level, now it’s up to him to improve on his shortcomings and take his game to another level. He’s a late-round prospect, but if a team gambles on him they will be getting a really intriguing player who brings some offensive pop to their prospect cupboard.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide