The Vegas Golden Knights aren't looking to trade veteran center William Karlsson despite his name being rumored in various reports since the club was eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, sources told Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Karlsson has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $5.9-million cap hit. Clearing his salary would give Vegas ample flexibility to add a big name or two this summer, but the Golden Knights are apparently content to keep him.
The club has approximately $9.6 million in available cap space as things stand, according to PuckPedia.
Karlsson was selected by Vegas from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 expansion draft. He exploded for 43 goals and 78 points in the Golden Knights' inaugural season, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The 32-year-old has never matched the production of that first year, but he is still a highly dependable two-way center. Karlsson ranks second on Vegas' all-time games played, goals, and points lists.
He dealt with injuries this season, managing only 29 points in 53 games before adding six points in the playoffs. Karlsson was an integral piece of Vegas' Cup run in 2023, chipping in 11 goals.
