Ever since he was plucked out of obscurity in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Karlsson has been the darling of the Vegas Golden Knights.
His boyish looks and charm complete with those long, flowing golden locks has endeared him to the thousands who flock to the T-Mobile Arena night in and night out.
Nothing more than a bit-part player for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Karlsson had hardly set the NHL alight prior to being identified by the Golden Knights as a must have asset in the Expansion Draft.
Both the eye test and the stats didn’t paint a pretty picture for the Swedish native, who had only managed a career high of nine goals in his three years in the big leagues prior to 2017-18.