3 players the Golden Knights can't deal in a Mitch Marner trade with the Maple Leafs

William Karlsson

One name that has regularly flown around in the Mitch Marner rumors with the Maple Leafs is William Karlsson. The "Original Misfit" is 31 years old and will stay with the Vegas Golden Knights through 2027. His cap hit will be $5.9 million, which would help make way for the younger Marner to come into the fold. Names like Alex Pietrangelo will come up, making them lucrative pieces to trade.

However, Karlsson has a purpose for the Golden Knights. He's the special teams merchant who's a threat to score short-handed. How, you might ask? He scored 12 short-handed goals with the franchise, tied for most with Reilly Smith in the team's history. Whenever a team turns over the puck on the power play, Karlsson's there to pounce, giving Vegas a "golden" chance to score. There are also the 28 power play goals he scored with the Golden Knights, making him an offensive threat.

Sure, the Swedish forward sounds like an appealing trade candidate given his age and cap hit. However, he's currently a solid offensive piece that can fill gaps for the Golden Knights. Special teams has been a big part of the team's history, given the power play hasn't performed well. With Vegas missing Marchessault, Karlsson's loss would make the unit worse overall.