"Melker plays an up-tempo, high-energy game and brings flexibility to our lineup wherever he plays," said Wilson. "His tenacious style of play fits our team perfectly, and we feel confident using him in many different situations. He kills penalties, can play with high-end players and brings an honest effort night in and night out. We're excited he has made this commitment to the organization."
Karlsson, 26, recorded 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists), 73 shots on goal and set career highs in both plus/minus (+7) and penalty minutes (22) in a career-best 67 games played with the Sharks in 2016-17. He finished ranked T-5th on the team in goals, T-6th in plus/minus, T-1st in shorthanded goals (2) and 3rd amongst Sharks forwards in blocked shots (59). He skated the third-most shorthanded minutes per game amongst all Sharks forwards (1:34).
The forward has collected 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) and a plus-9 rating in 185 career NHL games with San Jose. He was named the "Sharks Rookie of the Year" in 2014-15, after finishing ranked 7th amongst all NHL rookies in goals and T-15th in points. Karlsson tied a franchise-best goal scoring streak for rookies, tallying a goal in five consecutive contests. He has also added nine points (six goals, three assists) in 30 career NHL playoff games.
Prior to his time in North America, Karlsson recorded 66 points (31 goals, 35 assists) and 46 penalty minutes in 216 career games with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He helped his team win the SHL Championship in back-to-back seasons, while also finishing with the best regular-season record in the league in each of his final two campaigns in Sweden. Karlsson helped his team reach the SHL Final in each of his last four seasons.
The six-foot, 180-pound native of Lycksele, Sweden, was originally signed by San Jose as a free agent on May 30, 2014.
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