Vegas Locks Up Original Misfit William Karlsson With Two Year Extension

Karlsson Signs Two Year Extension

The Vegas Golden Knights have locked in center William Karlsson. The team announced a two year extension on Wednesday. The contract has an average annual value of 6.75 million dollars, which keeps him with the franchise through the 2028 to 2029 season.

Karlsson is one of the original Golden Misfits who joined Vegas from Columbus in the 2017 expansion draft. He has played 570 regular season games for the franchise. He ranks second in team history with 156 goals and 403 points since their first season in 2017 to 2018. He also helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023, playing in 22 games and scoring 17 points during that playoff run.

Battling Injuries to Stay on the Ice

Vegas has missed Karlsson for long stretches over the last two seasons due to various injuries. He was limited to 53 games in the 2024 to 2025 season. In the 2025 to 2026 season, a lower body injury sidelined him after just 14 games, forcing him to miss the final 68 games of the regular season.

He returned for the playoffs and played 15 games to help Vegas reach another Stanley Cup Final. However, Karlsson was injured again in Game 5. He missed Game 6, where Vegas lost the cup to Carolina.

When healthy, Karlsson is a strong two way player and a top penalty killer. His offensive stats have lagged since his career high 43 goals in the 2017 to 2018 season. Even so, he remains a good fit on the second line alongside Mitch Marner and Brett Howden for the 2026 to 2027 season.

What it means for the next game

Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights (NHL, Sat, 03 Oct): Vegas Golden Knights win 69%, Anaheim Ducks win 31%; projected score Vegas Golden Knights 4, Anaheim Ducks 3. Our safest pick: Golden Knights +1.

Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks (NHL, Mon, 05 Oct): Vancouver Canucks win 26%, Vegas Golden Knights win 74%; projected score Vancouver Canucks 2, Vegas Golden Knights 4. Our safest pick: Under 8 goals.