Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson aces 1st audition as Bruins’ latest 3rd-line center

Prior to his season debut with the Bruins on Saturday night, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson was pulled aside for the usual words of encouragement, pep talk, whatever you want to call it.

Often times, the onus is on the coaching staff to install the message of the day for players — especially those looking to stick with the NHL club.

But Bruce Cassidy and Boston’s assistant coaches opted for a familiar face to chat with “JFK” ahead of what was going to mark the 22-year-old center’s latest attempt to break through with the Black and Gold.

“We took Matt Grzelcyk aside this morning,” Cassidy said. “They played together at BU. ‘Hey, Grizzy explain a little bit how it worked out for you,’ because they are buddies and teammates. Sometimes a player translating those thoughts is easier than a coach and just play hockey.”

They may fill different roles out on the ice, but Cassidy has often compared Forsbacka Karlsson’s current situation with the one that Grzelcyk faced last year — with the defenseman finally settling into a role in Boston after some extended time down in Providence.

Did Grzelcyk hit the ground running when he made the jump up? As is the case with most young players, certainly not. But with additional reps and an emphasis on not diverting from his playing style — the BU blue liner finally found a regular spot in Boston’s D corps.

The message was largely the same for JFK ahead of Boston’s matchup against Toronto. Stick to what got you here, and the results will follow.

“Grizzy has been a guy that's been through it,” Forsbacka Karlsson said after Boston's 5-1 win over Toronto. “He knows what it's all about. I was just trying to soak up as much as possible from guys like him. Grizzy is an incredible guy and player, so it's a privilege for me to learn from a guy like that."

At a quick glance, the tangible impact that JFK had on a line with Anders Bjork and Danton Heinen might be tough to discern.

But, as the latest option on what has been a rolodex of pivots cycling through on that third line, Forsbacka Karlsson did more than enough to pass the first test.

The test being — earning the right for another look tomorrow.



On a night where the Bergeron line once again did most of the damage, Forsbacka Karlsson was only limited to 10:33 TOI during five-on-five play, with Cassidy opting to keep the third line matched up with Par Lindholm’s group and away from the Leafs’ big guns in John Tavares, Nazem Kadri, Mitch Marner and others.

But even in limited minutes, Forsbacka Karlsson was far from a liability on a line that has often been rudderless night in and night out. Along with winning six of his nine draws at the faceoff dot, Forsbacka Karlsson and his linemates rarely put Boston in a bad spot during 5v5 play.

In fact, in over 10 minutes of TOI in which the Heinen-JFK-Bjork line was out, the Maple Leafs failed to land a single shot on goal against Jaroslav Halak. Down the other end of the ice during that same stretch, Boston logged five shots on Garret Sparks — all leading to scoring chances.

In the areas that have often worked against Forsbacka Karlsson during his limited time up in the NHL — namely being hard on pucks and winning battles — Cassidy saw a major improvement.

“He was good. … made a great play to Jake (DeBrusk) backdoor, winning the puck, being strong on it. I thought he was in the middle of the ice well, won some board battles.”

In an ideal world, JFK’s return to Boston would feature a few more points on the scoresheet for him and his wingers — who have been limited to two goals and six total points over a combined 28 games together.

But Saturday’s showing was more than suitable for Cassidy — and at last, a positive step for Forsbacka Karlsson as he looks to prove his merit at the highest level. 

“He skates well enough, thinks well enough, has NHL skills,” Cassidy said of Forsbacka Karlsson. “It’s just a matter of play the game, play to your strengths. Tonight, was step one. I think he was better than I’ve ever seen him in that area, and tomorrow hopefully he gets a little confidence from it, and he’s able to translate.”