People don't understand William Karlsson's importance to the Vegas Golden Knights. He provides an excellent two-way game and has been one of the most reliable depth scorers for the Golden Knights. All of this makes him one of the most underrated players on the team.
That's why Monday's news concerning the Swedish center is disconcerting. It appears that there's a distinct possibility that Karlsson is done for good, leaving the Golden Knights without a key depth piece.
According to multiple sources, William Karlsson will not be available to VGK when NHL play begins following the Olympics, and he's highly unlikely to be ready before the Trade Deadline on March 6th.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) January 12, 2026
There is a reasonable chance he does not play again this season (including the…
It's no secret that Team Sweden won't have Karlsson's services for the upcoming Winter Olympics. However, not returning before the trade deadline is another alarm to sound. The Golden Knights have dealt with a wave of injuries all season, losing key players like Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Shea Theodore. But not having the Original Misfit around for a couple more months is a bigger punch to the gut.
Imagine facing off against a team like the Dallas Stars or the Colorado Avalanche. You're trying to contain the big names, whether it's Nathan MacKinnon or Jason Robertson. Suddenly, they get to the middle of the ice and wreak havoc on the Golden Knights' netminding. All of this could've been prevented by having your Misfit on the ice.
Golden Knights fans will remember the November 8 game against the Anaheim Ducks as a perfect example. When the Misfit left that game, Leo Carlsson attacked this area viciously, even getting a goal near the slot. That's a scary omen for Vegas, especially when you're trying to win a second Stanley Cup.
William Karlsson's impact on the Golden Knights goes beyond his two-way game
The Vegas Golden Knights have done exceptionally well on special teams, despite the Stockholm native's absence. Entering Monday, Vegas had the league's fourth-best power play (26.1%) and the ninth-best penalty kill (82.1%). Still, you'd want to have Karlsson's presence on both units.
The center has 30 career goals and 52 career assists on the power play, making him an important depth piece for the Golden Knights. He's also world-renowned for the "power kill" with Reilly Smith, scoring 15 goals and 13 assists on the penalty kill. Without Karlsson's presence, that means that Vegas is digging further into the barrel for special teams players.
When you're missing players like Brayden McNabb, that makes life even harder. Depth has been tough for the Golden Knights to tackle this season, leaving them to dig deep in the Henderson Silver Knights' box. Granted, there have been some success stories. But for every Braeden Bowman you have, there's also a Jaycob Megna.
On top of that, you're missing a leadership component. Fans don't look too deep into the intangibles side of things. But having the Stockholm native around is beneficial for players like, say, Alexander Holtz. How can the youngsters develop without a Misfit around?
If Karlsson is indeed out for the season, that'll have dramatic consequences for the Golden Knights. Fans can't forget how he was one of the few players who scored during the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, with three goals and three assists. Without him, life will get surprisingly harder than fans will admit.