Buffalo Sabres 2022 Draft: Weaknesses for each draft pick
By Sion Fawkes
Gustav Karlsson, C/187th overall
Karlsson is not aggressive when battling for the puck, winning one-on-one battles just 43 percent of the time. However, this number isn’t awful, and more experience in either J20 Nationell or the SHL will give him a chance to improve on this statistic before he even thinks about making the move to North America.
Per Elite Prospects, Karlsson has also never taken the ice in international play, meaning he is not highly sought after on the radar in his native Sweden. Despite the lack of international recognition, Karlsson did enjoy a breakout campaign in 2021-22 for Örebro HK J20, with 48 points and 31 goals in 41 games.
He also had an encore performance in the playoffs, scoring six points (four goals) in five games. This indicates that Karlsson’s lack of international play could just be nothing more than the prospect being a potential late bloomer. And if that’s the case, Karlsson may evolve into one of the Buffalo Sabres better late-round prospects in the pool.