Last season wasn't the best campaign of sorts for William Karlsson. He dealt with some injuries and played 53 games. On top of that, he scored nine goals and 20 assists. That's not enough to get the job done in today's fast-paced NHL world.
Of course, a season like that's enough to bring the haters out from the woodwork. That included podcasters and fans from opposing teams telling him he's washed. Oh well. At least people from Toronto valued him enough to be included in their mock trades with Mitch Marner. That should be a win.
Anyways, Karlsson has a chip on his shoulder heading into this season. He's ready to go back to his 2023-24 numbers, where he scored 30 goals and 30 assists with the Golden Knights. That should be enough proof that he can produce at a high level if he wants to silence said critics.
So, let's look at the beloved Misfit and see how many points he'll score with the Golden Knights this season. Is this the season that Karlsson returns to his old goal-scoring self? Or are we in for some regression as the haters are implying? Grab a beer and celebrate your friends because it's time to examine where the Swedish center is heading in 2025-26.
What will determine William Karlsson's points output this season
Getting Reilly Smith back on his line will definitely help his goal output. Last season, the duo had the best-performing line (minimum of 80 minutes) on the team with Victor Olofsson in terms of xGoals%, standing at 71.2% (according to MoneyPuck).
Granted, the unit only played 11 games together. However, Smith was acquired in a midseason trade, bolstering the middle of the lineup for Vegas. That will determine how well Karlsson does in the regular season.
That comes with good reason, too. Both have familiarized themselves with each other's games since playing in the inaugural season. That familiarity will create additional scoring opportunities since they feed off each other extremely well. If one of them goes down, that could hurt the other.
Predicting William Karlsson's points output with the Golden Knights
I fully expect Karlsson to have a rebound season in 2025-26. He's maintained a relatively clean bill of health throughout his Golden Knights career, making him one of the most stable pieces on the team. That should be no different as the new season rolls around, even if he's 32 years old.
I think that 20 goals and 33 assists are reasonable. I might've mentioned his potential totals last time. Maybe not. However, examining his circumstances reveals that he's due for a rebound season, especially if he's paired with Reilly Smith. The two share so much familiarity with each other's game that it literally feeds off each other.
That could be enough to quiet the haters for once. He could show that his game still matters to the Golden Knights, specifically in the Stanley Cup playoffs. On top of that, it could make for another great Misfit story in his career. He certainly knows a thing or two about those.