VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks aren’t getting any playoff games this spring, but Linus Karlsson has been playing them all season.

When the rookie winger went to training camp in Penticton last fall he did not have a roster spot on the Canucks nor a contract beyond this season. Subject to waivers after spending most of the last three seasons in the American Hockey League, Karlsson wasn’t even sure which National Hockey League organization he’d be part of come October.

“I try to see every game as a Game 7,” Karlsson said after practising with the Canucks Friday at the University of B.C. “I'm trying to stick in the lineup. That's actually my thought before every game: do everything you can to stay in the lineup. I mean, now I feel like I have a maybe a little (longer) leash, but still that's my mentality — try to think like it's a Game 7.”

While the Canucks have lost a mountain of games this season to plummet to the bottom of the NHL, Karlsson has kept advancing.

The 26-year-old’s 13th goal of the season in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning moved Karlsson to fifth in Canucks scoring with 30 points, one ahead of Evander Kane, who has logged 400 minutes more of playing time. Karlsson is 10 points (in 700 minutes) behind Elias Pettersson.

Given all the upheaval and disappointment around the Canucks this season, you have to look pretty hard to see how good Karlsson’s season has been.

Nothing about him is flashy. He is not fast, but heavy on his stick and tenacious along the boards. He has the size and disposition to win puck battles and get to the front of the opposition net, where he has scored nearly all of his goals,........

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