If you haven't heard the big news, the Vegas Golden Knights gave contract extensions to both Mark Stone and Braeden Bowman. The deals were warranted, considering that both Golden Knights players had superb years in 2025-26. That leaves William Karlsson as the main character in the whole "extend me, please" realm. Is there a possibility that this happens, though?
First, let's look at the facts, shall we? Heading into the 2027-28 season, the Golden Knights currently have roughly $21.53 million in cap space to work with. Alex Pietrangelo's contract will be off the books, which means someone else must handle the burden of being the season-ending LTIR guy. 16 of the 23 active roster spots will be occupied. Here, the Golden Knights will heavily consider depth.
That will come with prospects and players potentially filling spots, including Trevor Connelly and Carl Lindbom. But that will also mean lower-tier players will be a focal point, whether that's with the forward lines or the defensive pairings.
So let's look at what the extensions of Stone and Bowman mean for the Original Misfit. Will he get a team-friendly deal that works in Kelly McCrimmon's favor? Or will he let him go if he asks for too much money?
What the Mark Stone and Braeden Bowman deals do for William Karlsson's contract prospects with the Golden Knights
Judging by both contract extensions, the consensus is that the deals are valuable. The Braeden Bowman deal consists of a $3.4 million salary cap hit that will become minuscule once the cap expands. On top of that, he doesn't have a no-trade clause anchored to him, making this even better. If things go awry, McCrimmon can move off of the 23-year-old.
Now, it would be much harder to move a 34-year-old with a $9 million cap hit. However, the premise is still the same. Stone had a career-best 1.22 points per game last season, despite only playing 60 games. His on-ice presence matters to Vegas more than anything, as proven by the team's 8-9-5 record without him last season.
As for Karlsson? Well, he would get less than his current deal of $5.9 million if he signed an extension with the aforementioned trends. That would also mean that he wouldn't get any trade protection in his upcoming deal, leaving Kelly McCrimmon with more power. However, there's a good reason for that.
For one, Karlsson is 33 and in the twilight of his NHL career. He's also had some injuries hamper him in recent years, limiting his on-ice time. While Mark Stone is in a similar situation, there's a massive difference between the two situations. That concerns the points per game (1.22 for Stone last season), which is what fetched Stone $9 million in the first place.
Predicting William Karlsson's next deal with the Vegas Golden Knights
Meanwhile, Karlsson produced 0.50 points per game last season. Granted, he was injured for most of the season, which gives him an out. But that will hurt his contract value since he doesn't have the same production as Stone in that frame.
Player | 2024-25 Production | 2025-26 Production |
|---|---|---|
Mark Stone | 1.02 PPG | 1.22 PPG |
William Karlsson | 0.55 PPG | 0.50 PPG |
With that, I think a two-year deal worth $4.25 million AAV works here. His offensive production hasn't been what it once was because of injuries and age. But he's still vital in other facets. That includes winning face-offs (career 82-game average of 51.3%), neutralizing the game's biggest stars, and his special teams prowess.
These facets will bring him a reasonable deal in his next contract. There's still a purpose for the Original Misfit in the Golden Knights lineup, especially when the Stanley Cup playoffs roll around. If he can stay healthy and get his numbers up, the deal will look even better.
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