San Jose Sharks forward Melker Karlsson was a fan favorite from the gate, but fan love doesn’t mean you’re a top six forward.
It’s easy to hide a player when the puck is regularly hitting the back of the net and you can shelter him around talented players. It’s not so easy when the bounces aren’t going your way and the safety net is stripped away.
Melker Karlsson has a negative possession impact on San Jose’s legitimate top six forwards. Every single one of them. Granted, there’s varying degrees of ice time but the trend remains the same.