Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Undergoes wrist surgery
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Karlsson will undergo surgery Wednesday for a broken wrist, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
Karlsson left Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday due to the injury, and he didn't play in Game 6 on Sunday. He had three goals and nine points in 15 playoff appearances this year. The 33-year-old also recorded four goals and seven points in 14 regular-season outings, but he missed the bulk of the campaign because of a lower-body injury. It's the second straight year that Karlsson has missed a significant chunk of time -- he was limited to 53 regular-season games and 11 playoff outings in 2024-25.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Leaves arena after injury
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Karlsson left the Lenovo Center after sustaining an apparent arm injury in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Karlsson was injured on a hit by Sean Walker in the second period and appeared to be favoring his arm. With his departure from the arena, it's safe to assume Karlsson will not return to the game, and his status for Game 6 in Vegas on Sunday is in doubt. Should the center miss that contest, the Golden Knights have a number of options they could designate to fill Karlsson's second-line spot, including Tomas Hertl, Mitch Marner and Brett Howden. Brandon Saad, Reilly Smith or Braeden Bowman would be the top candidates to enter the lineup.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Likely not returning to series
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Karlsson (arm) is unlikely to return to the Stanley Cup Finals after leaving Thursday's Game 5, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.
Head coach John Tortorella hinted that Karlsson would not return, though he didn't commit to it fully. That will force a significant shuffle in the lineup, as Karlsson had been occupying a second-line role. It's not yet clear who will step into the lineup for him in Sunday's must-win Game 6.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: One of each in loss
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Karlsson scored a goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Karlsson earned both points in the second period to help the Golden Knights erase a two-goal deficit. He has picked up four points, seven shots on net and a plus-6 rating over four contests against the Hurricanes. Overall for the playoffs, the center has three goals, six helpers, 23 shots, 12 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating as a reliable top-six forward.
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Tallies in Game 1 victory
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Karlsson scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Karlsson helped the Golden Knights flip a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead, scoring the go-ahead goal at 4:35 of the second period. The 33-year-old center continues to handle a second-line spot. He's earned two goals, four assists, 18 shots on net, 10 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 11 outings since returning from a lower-body injury in time to begin the second round.
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Goal, assist in Game 3 win
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Karlsson scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist and went plus-3 in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
Karlsson pulled the Golden Knights within a goal when he scored at 4:05 of the second period. He also set up Brett Howden's empty-netter to seal the comeback win. Karlsson has filled a middle-six role since returning from a lengthy absence due to a lower-body injury. He's earned five points (one goal, four assists) with 12 shots on net, nine blocked shots and a plus-6 rating in nine playoff appearances.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Picks up helper Friday
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Karlsson logged an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 6-2 win over the Ducks in Game 3.
Karlsson has played in all three games in the second round against the Ducks. He saw 19:20 of ice time Friday, which is especially notable considering the game was a blowout that would have been a good time to afford him some rest. The center missed 74 consecutive games due to a lower-body injury, but Friday's performance suggests he's as healthy as he can be for the rest of the postseason. Karlsson is likely to continue playing in a middle-six role.
Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Ready to rock Monday
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Karlsson (lower body) will be activated from long-term injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup in Game 1 against Anaheim on Monday.
After being limited to only 14 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season, Karlsson could occupy a middle-six role in Vegas' second-round playoff series against the Ducks. He had four goals, seven points, 30 shots on net and 13 blocked shots before getting hurt.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Not close to returning
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Karlsson (lower body) isn't expected to participate in the 2026 postseason unless Vegas manages a long playoff run, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Friday, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Karlsson hasn't been explicitly ruled out for the first round, but based on that outlook, it sounds like he shouldn't be expected to play in the opening series. Vegas is set to begin its playoff run against Utah with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday. Karlsson had four goals and seven points in 14 regular-season outings in 2025-26.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Won't be ready to start playoffs
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Karlsson (lower body) will need the Golden Knights to make a run in the playoffs to get back into the lineup, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Friday.
The Golden Knights won't put Karlsson on season-ending long-term injured reserve, as there's still a chance he comes back. However, that won't happen in the regular season, and it's unlikely he'll get back in the first round of the playoffs. Once healthy, he may be limited to a bottom-six role given his lengthy layoff and the intensity of the postseason.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Out through trade deadline
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Karlsson (lower body) is not expected back before the March 6 trade deadline, SinBin Vegas reports Monday.
Karlsson could be in danger of missing the rest of the season, and it appears surgery has not been ruled out. If the team does officially shut the 33-year-old center down, it would be able to get the full relief from his $5.9 million cap hit. If this does mark the end of his season, Karlsson will finish the year having generated four goals and three assists in 14 contests.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Unlikely to make Olympic roster
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Karlsson (lower body) is not expected to be available for Sweden's Olympic roster, Darren Dreger of TSN reports Tuesday.
While this isn't an official update on his status from the Golden Knights, it's safe to assume he won't be back on the NHL roster until after the Olympics as well. Karlsson has already missed nearly two months and looks to be out for another two months at a minimum due to his lower-body injury. It was previously reported that he was expected to be back before the Olympic break, but without an update from Vegas, his timeline to return remains murky.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Expected back before Olympic break
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Karlsson (lower body) is set to return prior to the Olympic break, Sin Bin Vegas reports Tuesday.
Karlsson may be in danger of missing the Olympic tournament if Sweden doesn't keep a roster spot open for him. The Knights didn't provide a more concrete recovery timeline for Karlsson, but mid-to-late January seems the most likely timeline to give him enough time to head to Milan.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Moves to LTIR
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Karlsson (lower body) was transferred from regular injured reserve to long-term injured reserve on Friday, per PuckPedia.
Karlsson has already missed the required amount of time, so he'll be eligible for activation whenever ready. The 32-year-old center was deemed week-to-week in mid-November, and there's been no update on his status since then. This move will free up some cap space for the Golden Knights.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Is week-to-week
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Karlsson (lower body) is week-to-week, the team announced Thursday.
Karlsson has four goals and seven points in 14 appearances this season. Braeden Bowman was summoned from AHL Henderson on Wednesday and might play regularly during Karlsson's absence.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Placed on IR
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Karlsson (lower body) was designated for injured reserve Wednesday, per Sin Bin Vegas.
Based on the retroactive designation, Karlsson will have to miss at least the next two games, though with a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday against the Blues and Wild, respectively, it seems more likely that a return will come closer to Tuesday's clash with the Rangers.
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Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Unavailable Monday
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Karlsson (lower body) won't play against Florida on Monday, according to SinBin Vegas.
Karlsson will miss at least one game after getting hurt in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to Anaheim. However, it's unclear when he will be ready to return. Karlsson has earned four goals, seven points, 30 shots on net and 13 blocked shots through 14 appearances this season. With Karlsson unavailable to play versus the Panthers, Brett Howden will occupy the third-line center role in Monday's lineup.
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