There are some things in life that are good. For example, enjoying chocolate chip pancakes with sweet maple syrup is a delectable surprise. Who doesn't love the gooey deliciousness and sweetness of flapjacks in the morning? It's as good as enjoying winter hikes at Red Rock Canyon.
Yes, this has become a new favorite meal of mine, especially after a Vegas Golden Knights victory. You gotta start your day off the right way, beginning with flour mixed with protein powder. Gotta hit 200 lbs. on the bench press, you know?
But Golden Knights fans received another tidbit of good news on Saturday. Bruce Cassidy confirmed a key injured player is skating on the ice. Granted, he doesn't have a definitive timeline to return. But getting back to skating is the first step (and is the most important). So who is this mystery player that fans should be hyped about?
Cassidy says William Karlsson is skating. No real timeline for return but he's of course out tonight and likely the next few at the least.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) February 22, 2025
That's right. An "Original Misfit" is back to skating in practice. SinBin.vegas reported that Cassidy confirmed the center's whereabouts on Saturday. As mentioned, there's no definitive timeline for his return. However, seeing a beloved player come back is as good as chocolate chip pancakes (although some podcasters will say that sucks, too).
So why should you be excited about a Swedish player's return to the ice? He only has seven goals and 11 assists, a far cry from his 30 goals and 30 assists from last season. Surely, he's as good as stale pancake batter these days, right?
Why William Karlsson's eventual return matters
Here's why Karlsson gets the benefit of the doubt here. He's only played 38 games in 2024-25. Despite only scoring seven goals and 11 assists, his shots have been of the quality variety. He has a Corsi of 54% and a Fenwick of 53%. It doesn't matter if his shots are blocked or not. He's still the same forward who knows when and where to fire the puck.
That's also why his shooting talent above average is better than last season's stat. In 2023-24, he had a stat of 0.4% regarding his shooting. He was barely above average in this regard despite having 7.6 goals above shooting talent. However, the former statistic is bumped to 3.8% this season. The result? The same ol' "Original Misfit" that everyone loved and adored since "Day F****** One."
Karlsson's return also bolstered a beleaguered penalty kill for the Vegas Golden Knights (21st in the NHL at 77.1%). The unit has struggled with making successful exits and regaining puck possession, leaving opponents to feast. Having a Swedish forward come back to the group will remedy this problem. How?
He's constantly looking to move his opponents off the puck while on the unit. A tremendous range and work ethic can do this for a player, specifically if the group struggles. Luckily, that's what the center brings to the table. He will fight for every puck and can even score while short-handed.
Some skeptics will think of this as a minor move.
"Oh, ThIs WoN't AfFeCt ThE gOlDeN kNiGhTs MuCh."
Except it does. Finally, you have a veteran leader who can bolster many units at once, turning his team into a formidable team. Considering March is rolling around, that presents a prime opportunity to take the Pacific Division. That's especially true with the Edmonton Oilers struggling. If Vegas can take advantage of this with the Swede's return, the result will be as sweet as chocolate chip pancakes.