Base Karlsson Review
Back at it again with a Friday Review, as voted on by you guys last time, we got EK65, anyways here we go...
Pairing: Suter-Karlsson
Skating 9.5/10 Man, Karlsson fucking moves, he has the best speed out of any defenseman that I've used on top of great agility and acceleration, he moves like a water bug up the ice weaving and gliding around guys. He can maneuver in zone and get himself into high quality scoring areas with sharp turns and pivots. Defensively I find that he is always able to get back and even catch the speediest of forwards, and this skill allows you to be more aggressive on offense knowing that he is on the ice.
Shooting 9/10 Karlsson has a very good shot from the point. His slapper has great power and accuracy, making him a dangerous option from the blue line. Unlike many defensemen, he also has a great wristshot, which can be utilized off the rush like you would a forward, I've been able to score many a goal with him by having him lead the rush and pick a corner as if he were a winger.
Hands 9.5/10 Perhaps his best asset in my opinion, Karlsson feels like he has the puck on a string at some points, he has better deking ability than many forwards and it shows, he is easily able to take the puck up ice and do it all himself to set up a good scoring chance. His passing is also impeccable, I've definitely scored on a couple cross creases that shouldn't have gotten through but were threaded tape to tape by EK for a tap in. His passing on the breakout allows a smooth transition from defense to offense as well, giving him two threats coming out of his own zone.
Checking 6/10 Karlsson's major weakness is his physical game, I find that he has trouble even bumping some players off the puck, not to mention that he isn't the strongest player on his skates. He is a player that you want to avoid contact situations with if possible.
Defense 8/10 Karlsson isn't a shutdown defenseman, of course that's not what you're getting him for though. He has a strong poke check and is in position most of the time, but his lack of physical game and aggressiveness in the offensive zone can sometimes get you caught in bad situations. When he does get back, however, he can defend with the best of them, his stick checks are very good and can disrupt the offense from getting a good chance.
Overall... When Karlsson is on the ice it's like having a 4th forward out there. At his best he can be a near point per game player on your club if utilized in the correct way. Yes he does have defensive shortcomings, but pairing him with a proper partner, like a Suter or Weber is critical to his success, remember, he is an option that could inject serious offense into your lineup from the backend, and with a good DFD he won't be a liability unlike what I found from when I was using OEL.
Prior Reviews:
Posted Jul 8, 2016, 3:57 PM UTC