Golden Knights fans are already feeling the pain of losing William Karlsson

Vegas Golden Knights fans were wondering about the whereabouts of William Karlsson on Monday. They were hoping he'd be on the ice and that his injury was only a scratch. However, Bruce Cassidy told Golden Knights fans not to get their hopes up too much.

The Original Misfit left Saturday's overtime loss with a lower-body injury. He scored an assist in that game before leaving after the first period.

Karlsson has four goals and three assists in 14 games with the Golden Knights this season. He's been one of the more productive lower-line players, coming through in a clutch. One can point to his big game on October 16 against the Boston Bruins as an example. Here, he scored two goals in a 6-5 win, securing two key points in a barnburner.

Of course, this isn't the first time the Misfit has gotten injured in recent memory. He also missed time last season, only playing 53 games for the Golden Knights. That led to the Swedish center only scoring nine goals and 20 assists for Vegas last season.

What does William Karlsson's injury mean for the Vegas Golden Knights moving forward?

As mentioned, many people don't realize how important Karlsson is for the Golden Knights. Aside from providing lower-line offense, he's also a steady special teams force. He has 30 power play goals and 52 power play assists in his career, making him an integral part of the Golden Knights.

However, his productivity doesn't end there. He's also well-known for the infamous "power kill" with Reilly Smith, making short-handed magic happen with his fellow Misfit. In fact, he's done this throughout his NHL career, scoring 15 goals and 13 assists on short-handed opportunities.

Fans also can't ignore his defensive capabilities as a two-way center. What's made Karlsson well-known in the Golden Knights community is his innate ability to shut down superstars, whether it's Leon Draisaitl or Auston Matthews. Losing a viable two-way center hurts Vegas in numerous ways, especially when you're trying to take the middle of the ice away.

How can the Golden Knights adapt to losing Karlsson?

First and foremost, the Golden Knights need someone to step into Karlsson's two-way role. It doesn't matter if it's Brett Howden or someone else. Someone must take on that role and run with it.

Remember that the Golden Knights are facing off against superstars like the ageless Brad Marchand (10 goals and six assists) and Kirill Kaprizov (10 goals and 12 assists) in the upcoming weeks. Losing Karlsson for Monday's game against the Panthers will hurt Vegas aplenty. But if it's longer than that, they could be in trouble defensively.

Also, the penalty kill must lock in. Sure, the Panthers are 21st in the NHL in power play percentage (17.5%) entering Monday. But teams like the St. Louis Blues (11th in the NHL at 23.3%) and the Wild (fourth in the NHL at 29%) are much less forgiving. Who will step up and make the necessary exits? Who will use their range to disrupt the play?

Whatever the case, the Golden Knights have some adjusting to do. They've been fortunate enough to come away with points in all but three games this season. Still, the upcoming stretch could be the trap that leaves Vegas completey neutered.