Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Difference-maker Friday
Rotowire
Karlsson scored two goals and added a power-play assist in Friday's 4-2 win over Utah.
Karlsson was the one player who changed the game for the Golden Knights on Friday. He set up the equalizer from Tomas Hertl midway through the third period before flipping the script entirely in the final minutes. The 31-year-old netted the go-ahead goal with 1:18 left in the game and later closed out the scoring with an empty-netter with 29 seconds left. Karlsson has cracked the scoresheet in six of his nine appearances this season, tallying four goals and five assists thus far.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Adds power-play helper
Rotowire
Karlsson logged a power-play assist in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Oilers.
Karlsson has yet to be held off the scoresheet in his five appearances, earning two goals and four assists. His helper Wednesday was his first power-play point of the campaign. The center has added 12 shots on net, six blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. As long as remains on at least the second power-play unit, Karlsson will see a bigger role than his third-line assignment at even strength would suggest.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Bends twine Saturday
Rotowire
Karlsson scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Utah.
Karlsson put the Golden Knights ahead in the third period while extending his point streak to four games. He has two goals, three assists, 11 shots on net, five blocked shots and a plus-5 rating in that span, which is all of his action this season after opening the year on injured reserve. The center remains on the third line, but he's performing bigger than that role would suggest. Karlsson is a fairly safe depth forward for fantasy.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Draws assist in loss
Rotowire
Karlsson recorded an assist and two shots on goal in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Kings.
Karlsson helped out on a Tanner Pearson tally in the second period. Those two forwards have worked with Alexander Holtz on the third line over the last three games, with Karlsson earning a goal and three helpers in that span. He hasn't missed a beat after sitting out eight games with an undisclosed injury to begin the season. Karlsson has added eight shots on net, four blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. The Swede is likely to remain on the third line and second power-play unit for now, but he's a strong candidate to move into the top six if head coach Bruce Cassidy shuffles his line combinations.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: One of each in season debut
Rotowire
Karlsson scored a shorthanded goal on three shots, added an assist, went plus-2 and blocked two shots in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Sharks.
Karlsson missed the first eight games of the season due to an undisclosed injury. The center slotted in on the third line and second power-play unit, logging 13:58 of ice time, though he'll likely see more minutes once he's up to speed. He's a vital player for Vegas in all situations -- he's logged multiple shorthanded points in seven of the last eight seasons and has topped double-digits in power-play points in three of those years. Karlsson put up 30 goals and 60 points in 70 regular-season outings in 2023-24, though he shot 17.1 percent, a number that's likely to come down this year.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Activated from IR
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, according to the NHL media site.
Vegas placed Victor Olofsson (lower body) on injured reserve in a corresponding move. As expected, Karlsson is ready to make his season debut in Saturday's matchup versus San Jose. He compiled 30 goals and 60 points across 70 regular-season outings in 2023-24. Karlsson will occupy a middle-six role and work on the second power-play unit.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Expected back Saturday
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) is slated to return versus the Sharks on Saturday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
This news effectively rules Karlsson out versus the Senators on Friday, but it seems there is a clear plan to get the center back on the ice. Once given the all-clear, the Swede figures to move into a third-line center role, which could mean Cole Schwindt is dropped from the lineup and possibly reassigned to AHL Henderson. If he's cleared to play Saturday, Karlsson will first need to be activated off injured reserve.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Sporting non-contact jersey
Rotowire
Karlsson skated in a non-contact sweater at practice Monday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Karlsson seems unlikely to suit up versus the Kings on Tuesday considering he is still in a non-contact jersey. He could be progressing toward a return with an eye to the upcoming back-to-back versus Ottawa and San Jose on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Once cleared to play, Karlsson figures to slot into a top-six role, which could see Tanner Pearson pushed down the depth chart.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Shifts to IR
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, according to Tim Hiebert of The Hockey News.
Karlsson's status for Opening Night on Wednesday against Colorado remains unclear. He missed another practice Monday after suffering an injury during training camp. He registered 30 goals and 60 points in 70 games during the 2023-24 regular season. If Karlsson sits out Wednesday's contest, Nicolas Roy could center the third line.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Ruled out for Saturday
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Sharks, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Karlsson has been dealing with an undisclosed injury recently and wasn't able to suit up during preseason play. Coach Bruce Cassidy hasn't ruled Karlsson out for Opening Night against Colorado on Wednesday, but he isn't yet sure whether the center will be able to play.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Won't play Thursday
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's preseason game against Colorado, per the NHL media site.
Karlsson's final chance to get into an exhibition contest before the start of the regular season will come Saturday versus San Jose. Even if Karlsson doesn't play against the Sharks, it's still possible he'll feature on the lineup for Vegas' Opening Night clash against Colorado on Wednesday.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Not playing Tuesday
Rotowire
Karlsson won't play in Tuesday's preseason contest versus Colorado, but he is expected to return to the team this week, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Monday.
Karlsson is expected to be ready for Opening Night, and the 31-year-old will fill a middle-six role when healthy. The left-shot center's next chance to return to the lineup will be in Thursday's exhibition rematch against the Avalanche.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Will miss Friday's contest
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup in Friday's preseason game against Utah, per SinBin.vegas.
Karlsson had 30 goals and 60 points in 70 regular-season contests in 2023-24. His next opportunity to play will come Tuesday against Colorado. Vegas' Opening Night isn't until Oct. 9 versus the Avalanche.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Isn't skating
Rotowire
Karlsson (undisclosed) wasn't on the ice Thursday, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Karlsson skated earlier during training camp, but he was also held out of Tuesday's practice and Wednesday's preseason game. He had 30 goals and 60 points in 70 regular-season outings in 2023-24. When healthy, Karlsson should serve in a top-six capacity and have a role on the power play.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Plays through injury
Rotowire
Karlsson played through a lower-body injury during the Golden Knights' first-round playoff series versus the Stars, which concluded with a 2-1 loss in Game 7 on Sunday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
The injury wasn't bad enough to keep Karlsson off the ice, but it was obvious he was struggling, as he was limited to two helpers over seven games. He added nine shots on net, eight hits, five blocked shots and a plus-4 rating from a third-line role. Karlsson was a 60-point contributor in the regular season, and he should fill a middle-six role again in 2024-25.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Gets on scoresheet Friday
Rotowire
Karlsson registered an assist in Friday's 2-0 win over the Stars in Game 6.
After a 60-point regular season, Karlsson was silenced for the first five games of the first round. He broke the slump by setting up Mark Stone's empty-netter Friday, though that's hardly a sign of good things to come for Karlsson. The veteran center is stuck in a third-line role, and his defensive skills are strong enough to prevent him from getting more favorable matchups. Karlsson has added nine shots on net, six hits and a plus-3 rating through six playoff outings.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Picks up 30th assist, 60th point
Rotowire
Karlsson logged a power-play assist and three shots on goal in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Ducks.
Karlsson slowed down a bit in early March, but he picked up the pace again with six goals and eight assists over the final 12 contests of the regular season. The 31-year-old center ended the campaign with 30 goals, 30 helpers, 175 shots on net and a plus-15 rating over 70 appearances, earning just the second 60-point campaign of his career. He'll likely begin the postseason on the third line, but the depth and versatility of the Golden Knights' offense is strong enough for him to be effective from that role.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Two late goals send game to OT
Rotowire
Karlsson scored twice in the third period to send the game to overtime in Sunday's 4-3 victory over Colorado.
Karlsson reached the 30-goal mark with his two-goal third period, which included a power-play tally. The only other time Karlsson has reached that threshold was his 43-goal campaign in the Golden Knights' inaugural season in 2017-18. He has been hot down the stretch, with six goals and 13 points over the last 10 games.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Adds insurance tally
Rotowire
Karlsson scored a goal on five shots and blocked two shots in Friday's 7-2 win over the Wild.
Karlsson's offense remains warm -- he has four goals and seven assists over his last nine contests. The 31-year-old center's tally in the third period squashed the Wild's small chance of a comeback. Karlsson is up to 28 goals and 57 points over 67 appearances, with both of those scoring numbers being the highest he's had in the last six years. He's added 169 shots on net and a plus-16 rating while seeing steady middle-six usage.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Gathers helper
Rotowire
Karlsson notched a shorthanded assist and two hits in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Oilers.
Karlsson remains warm on offense with three goals and seven assists over his last eight outings. The 31-year-old center had a hand in Keegan Kolesar's third-period tally to spoil Stuart Skinner's shutout bid. Karlsson is up to 56 points -- matching his highest total since 2018-19 -- while adding 164 shots on net and a plus-15 rating over 66 appearances. He is clicking on the third line with Pavel Dorofeyev and Anthony Mantha, allowing Tomas Hertl to open his Golden Knights tenure on the second line.
