Ladies and gentlemen, the last piece of the "lovable Vegas Golden Knights star" field has signed a contract extension. After Braeden Bowman got a contract extension and Mark Stone got a new deal, William Karlsson was next in line.
The Original Misfit is in the last year of his eight-year, $5.9 million AAV deal. Last season was an injury-riddled campaign as Karlsson scored four goals and three assists with the Golden Knights. He played 14 games with Vegas, coming back for the postseason before suffering yet another injury.
The Vegas Golden Knights are closing in on a contract extension with William Karlsson, sources told ESPN.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) September 30, 2026
The deal is for two years and is worth $6.75 million AAV. The Misfit's deal comes on the heels of Braeden Bowman and Mark Stone getting their contract extensions before the season started, with the Golden Knights tying up some loose ends on the hockey front.
Karlsson is one of the most tenured Golden Knights in franchise history, playing in 570 regular-season games for Vegas. He's second all-time in goals (165), points (403), plus-minus (+128), and takeaways (382) in the regular season. But the Swedish forward also leads the franchise all-time in shorthanded goals (15) and shorthanded points (26).
Karlsson was selected by the Golden Knights from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and has the franchise record for the most single-season goals (43 in 2017-18). He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy after the 2017-18 season, making him one of the classiest players around.
What does William Karlsson's new deal mean for the Vegas Golden Knights—and Karlsson
On the surface, the Golden Knights appear to have overpaid Karlsson. They gave a $6.75 million AAV deal to an aging center who can't stay on the ice. Looking at his recent production would tell the entire story of why this isn't reasonable.
The past two seasons have seen Karlsson riddled by injuries, leading to 67 games played in that span. He has 13 goals and 23 assists during that timeframe, marking a downturn in production from his 2023-24 campaign (30 goals and 30 assists). Sounds like something that a podcaster would latch onto and say that he stinks, right?
Here's the thing, my friend. The Golden Knights center is productive when healthy, as proven by the aforementioned 2023-24 campaign. He brings scoring and veteran leadership to the lower lines, making him crucial for overall depth. Again, he was injured for most of the two seasons, leaving a massive void in the lineup.
Plus, he's terrific at defending the league's biggest stars. Karlsson knows how to take away space without exerting too much athletic ability, keeping superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl along the boards. When you can neutralize your opponents effectively, it's easier to win games.
Add in his acumen for being an excellent special teams player and there's more value to Karlsson's deal than you'd realize. Yes, there are fears about the Misfit growing older and not performing up to snuff. But looking at what he brings to the table, $6.75 million AAV for two years makes perfect sense.
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