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Pacific Notes: Sharks, Hart, Karlsson

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The Sharks have not yet decided if they will loan forward Michael Misa or defenseman Sam Dickinson to play for Canada at the upcoming World Juniors, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.  Misa is set to debut with the AHL’s Barracuda tonight while on a conditioning assignment, one that can last up to two weeks.  The second overall pick back in June has been used quite sparingly this season, getting into just seven NHL games where he has a goal and two assists.  Accordingly, he hasn’t officially activated the first year of his entry-level deal.  If Misa plays out his AHL stint and then joins Canada’s roster, that would allow San Jose to wait until January before making a final call on keeping him in the NHL or sending him back to junior.

As for Dickinson, the 19-year-old has played much more frequently, getting into 21 games with the Sharks so far.  However, he has been limited to just one goal and one assist after putting up 91 points in just 55 games with OHL London last season.  Dickinson is averaging a respectable 14:27 per game of ice time but would have a much more prominent role at the World Juniors.  With San Jose carrying eight healthy blueliners, they wouldn’t necessarily need to bring anyone up from the Barracuda to take his place on the roster if they were to loan Dickinson out.

More from the Pacific:

  • Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He sustained the injury in his season debut on Tuesday against Chicago, one that saw him make 27 saves in a shootout victory over Chicago.  Vegas recalled Jesper Vikman from AHL Henderson earlier today and they are using an emergency roster exception that lasts up to 48 hours to allow them to temporarily exceed the 23-player roster limit.
  • Still with the Golden Knights, they’ve placed center William Karlsson on LTIR, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). The move was needed to afford Vikman’s recall.  Karlsson last played on November 8th, meaning that he has already missed the required 10 games and 24 days, assuming the placement was back-dated.  The 32-year-old has four goals and three assists in 14 games this season and remains listed as out week-to-week.

Golden Knights’ William Karlsson Out Week-To-Week

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According to a team announcement, the Vegas Golden Knights are expected to be without forward William Karlsson for the next few weeks due to a lower-body injury. Karlsson missed his first game of the year on Monday against the Florida Panthers due to the injury.

It’s an unfortunate circumstance for Karlsson and the Golden Knights, as he was quietly placed on the team’s injured reserve yesterday morning. Although he’s not a direct replacement, Vegas has recalled Braeden Bowman from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights after scoring seven goals and 12 points through his first 12 games to start the season.

Once again, the Golden Knights’ regular-season success is being heavily impacted by injury concerns. Alongside Karlsson, the team was already without captain Mark Stone and starting netminder Adin Hill for the foreseeable future. They’re currently 7-4-4 and two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference standings.

Unfortunately, this is all too familiar for Karlsson. One of the four remaining “Misfits”, Karlsson lost 29 games to a lower-body injury last year, finishing with nine goals and 29 points. He had gotten off to a relatively solid start to the current season, scoring four goals and seven points in 14 games while averaging 15:09 of ice time per game.

It’s a tricky situation for the cap-strapped Golden Knights. According to the new LTIR rules, Vegas is only able to shed Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM salary this season since he won’t feature during the year or the postseason. Unfortunately, even with Stone on LTIR and Karlsson now on the IR, the Golden Knights only have a little over $450K in cap space, leaving them with very few options to fill in their injury holes.

Morning Notes: McKenna, Karlsson, Laughton

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17-year-old Gavin McKenna is one of the top prospects in hockey and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Currently playing NCAA hockey for the Penn State Nittany Lions, he’s gotten off to a productive start, scoring 14 points in 12 games. But even with that production, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has indicated that McKenna’s performances in college hockey thus far have some left NHL teams wanting more.

Wheeler reported yesterday that after McKenna’s Penn State dropped back-to-back games against Michigan State in East Lansing, “the gathering collection of scouts and hockey folks weren’t kind to” McKenna in their thoughts postgame. Wheeler reported that “multiple NHL scouts” commented to The Athletic on McKenna’s “work rate off the puck, a number of backchecks he appeared to give up on,” and perhaps most distressingly for McKenna’s draft stock, “an ongoing desire for more effort.” Wheeler stopped short of saying that McKenna’s status as 2026’s top prospect was truly under threat; he is still a point-per-game NCAA freshman, after all, and his incredible skill level is still evident. But Wheeler did note that “this college hockey season has revealed” that McKenna is right now “a flawed player” whose flaws were better masked when he was playing in, and dominating, the WHL.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Injury issues have once again surfaced for Vegas Golden Knights veteran William Karlsson, who left last night’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks with an injury. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger relayed word from Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy last night, who guessed that Karlsson would be out on a day-to-day basis, but did also note that they don’t know for sure the extent of his injury. Since Vegas is not on the ice today, the earliest an update on Karlsson’s status is likely to be released is Monday. Karlsson played in just 53 games last season due to injury and has seven points through 14 games in 2025-26.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Scott Laughton left last night’s loss against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury after finding himself on the wrong end of a Nikita Zadorov body check. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media after the game, including The Hockey News’ David Alter, that the severity of Laughton’s injury is currently still being evaluated, but he did note that the player will miss the Maple Leafs’ game Sunday. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Berube expressed frustration regarding the hit that injured Laughton, saying postgame “I thought it was a head shot.” Injuries have limited Laughton to just two games played this season, his first coming on Nov. 5.

Trade Notes: Dobson, Marner, Karlsson, McBain

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The opening day of the 2025 NHL Draft got off to a quick start earlier today when the New York Islanders traded defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for Emil Heineman and a pair of first-round picks. If the Islanders’ old General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, had it his way, Dobson would have already been wearing a different Canadian team’s uniform.

According to Arthur Staple, formerly of The Athletic, Lamoriello attempted to package Dobson with other pieces at last season’s trade deadline to acquire forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, likely due to Toronto’s disapproval at the time, no trade materialized between the two teams.

It stands to reason that the Islanders may have known Dobson was out of their price range on a long-term extension for some time, and the new administration faced similar issues as the last. At any rate, the Islanders now have approximately $21MM in cap space entering the offseason without a big-ticket extension on their horizon.

Other trade notes:

  • It’s a well-known fact that the Vegas Golden Knights are looking to trim their salary cap table so they can put together a legitimate pursuit for Marner. Still, it doesn’t appear that long-time forward William Karlsson will be a part of that exodus, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that there’s little activity on the Karlsson trade front. The 11-year veteran is coming off an injury-riddled season and has two years left until he reaches unrestricted free agency, making him a difficult sell to other organizations.
  • According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to capitalize on the lack of progress in contract negotiations between the Utah Mammoth and forward Jack McBain. Yohe indicated that McBain would be an ideal fit for the Penguins’ hole at third-line center, and his physicality and tertiary scoring ability are of great intrigue to General Manager Kyle Dubas.

Golden Knights Not Shopping William Karlsson

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In recent weeks, there has been speculation that the Golden Knights would like to free up some salary cap flexibility heading into free agency next month.  While that may still be the case, one of the speculated potential casualties is actually not in play; Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Vegas is not looking to move center William Karlsson.

Karlsson is one of the few remaining original members of the team after joining them in the 2017 Expansion Draft.  Throughout his time in Vegas, he has been a reliable two-way center and has signed two separate deals with the team.

However, the 32-year-old is coming off a rather quiet season.  Limited to just 53 games during the regular season due to injuries, Karlsson put up just nine goals and 20 assists while seeing his playing time drop to 17:01 per night.  His point total and ATOI were both the lowest they had been since he joined the Golden Knights.

With Jack Eichel entrenched as the number one center and a stated desire to sign him to a long-term extension this summer and Tomas Hertl in the fold for another five years, it’s understandable why some wondered if Karlsson could be in play.  And with just two seasons remaining on his contract with a $5.9MM price tag plus a strong track record, Vegas would have been in a great position to command a strong return for his services.

But center depth is difficult to part with if you can afford to keep it.  Both Eichel and Hertl have a track record of dealing with injuries themselves so having three top-six-caliber middlemen is a great luxury to have while keeping Nicolas Roy and Brett Howden in the bottom six.

Speaking of cap space, the Golden Knights presently have around $9.6MM in room, per PuckPedia.  However, they have several players to spend that money on with wingers Reilly Smith, Victor Olofsson, Brandon Saad, and goalie Ilya Samsonov all set to become unrestricted free agents next month, with Nicolas Hague, frequently mentioned in trade speculation himself, becoming an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in July.  But while it’s understandable that Vegas wants to open up extra cap space heading into free agency, it appears it won’t be coming from one of their longest-serving players.

William Karlsson And Jonas Rondbjerg To Play In World Championship

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While the Golden Knights saw their playoff run come to an end when they were eliminated by Edmonton earlier this week, at least two of their players will see their season continue for at least a few more days.  The team announced (Twitter link) that center William Karlsson will join Sweden and winger Jonas Rondbjerg will join Denmark for the rest of the World Championship.

Karlsson is coming off a particularly rough year, both in terms of injuries and from a production standpoint.  The 32-year-old was limited to just nine goals and 20 assists in 53 games during the regular season.  He produced at a similar rate in the playoffs, picking up three goals and three helpers in their 11 contests.  With Sweden co-hosting the event this year, they have a strong roster and Karlsson will certainly give them a boost heading into the medal round.

As for Rondbjerg, he spent the bulk of the year with AHL Henderson but did get into 13 games with Vegas where he was held off the scoresheet.  While he hasn’t been able to crack their lineup full-time, he has seen action with the Golden Knights for the last four years, spanning 76 games in total.  Meanwhile, with the Silver Knights, the 26-year-old had 11 goals and 15 assists in 53 games.  While pending free agents often don’t play in this event, Rondbjerg will be an exception as he’ll be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer.  He wasted little time flying over for the event as he scored today against Norway.

Earlier today, it was revealed that center Tomas Hertl had hoped to play for the Czechs but didn’t receive medical clearance from team doctors.  It remains to be seen if any other Golden Knights will head over for the final half of the tournament with the medal round set to start on Thursday.

Golden Knights Hope William Karlsson’s Return Is Imminent

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The Vegas Golden Knights are believed to be close to getting forward William Karlsson back from injury, but he remains without a return date, per SinBin.vegas.

Karlsson hasn’t played since January 20th, when he sustained a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues. He was placed on LTIR on Feb. 7 to allow the club to make recalls and remain cap compliant. Karlsson’s season has been defined by injuries and uneven offensive play, as shown by his 18 points in 38 games on the year. He also missed the first eight games of the season with an undisclosed ailment. Prior to his most recent injury, Karlsson was going through a seven-game scoring slump, and registered just one assist in his last 10 games played. His elite-level defensive prowess has remained, aided by his 58.9 percent faceoff win-rate and plus-eight rating.

As SinBin.vegas notes, Karlsson has been with the team and was expected to play on their current road trip per quotes from GM Kelly McCrimmon and coach Bruce Cassidy. McCrimmon noted on March 7 that Karlsson “isn’t far away” from returning. That was later echoed by Cassidy on March 11, who noted his hopes of Karlsson returning at some point during the team’s road trip.

Since Karlsson’s injury, Vegas has managed a 14-10-4 record, but would no doubt be aided by his return. Karlsson is one year removed from a 30 goal, 30 assist season and should slot back into the club’s top line as Vegas looks ahead to the playoffs. Despite missing Karlsson for an extended period of time, Vegas still finds themselves in first place in the Pacific Division.

In 723 career NHL games, Karlsson has registered 435 points, of which 385 have come as a member of the Golden Knights. “Wild Bill” was selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft after being left exposed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Karlsson was a key part of the team’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year of existence, scoring 43 goals and 78 points on the season, registering a league-high plus-49 rating, and capturing the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy along the way. He has added 65 points in 95 career playoff games with Vegas, all of which has solidified him as a fan-favorite in Sin City.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Boeser, Kovalenko, Rutta

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Aside from the Boston Bruins losing Charlie McAvoy, the Vegas Golden Knights are another team that lost an impact player during the 4 Nations Face-Off. According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, the Golden Knights don’t have any new updates regarding defenseman Shea Theodore’s injury status. However, head coach Bruce Cassidy provided updates on another pair of injured players.

Forwards William Karlsson and Cole Schwindt have resumed regular skating making their returns imminent. Neither Karlsson nor Schwindt has played in a game for Vegas in February as they’re both dealing with lower-body injuries. The former has been impacted by injuries for much of the 2024-25 campaign as he’s only managed seven goals and 18 points in 38 appearances.

Meanwhile, the positive injury updates continue as the team is expected to activate (X Link) forward Tanner Pearson for tonight’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks. Pearson missed the Golden Knights’ final two games before the break due to an undisclosed injury. The former 20-goal scorer has notched nine goals and 19 points in 53 games for Vegas this season averaging 12:01 of ice time per night.

Other Pacific notes:

  •  Vancouver could be headed for treacherous waters with their pending unrestricted free agent forward Brock Boeser. The team has been playing too well to warrant moving Boeser at the deadline but not much traction has been made for a potential extension. In an article from Thomas Drance in The Athletic, he argues the Canucks will treat Boeser as their own rental for the deadline. Still, Drance argues that if Vancouver significantly falters leading up to March 7th, that could make a Boeser trade more palatable from their perspective.
  • According to San Jose beat writer Curtis Pashelka, forward Nikolai Kovalenko nor defenseman Jan Rutta are expected to join the San Jose Sharks on their upcoming road trip. Pashelka adds that Rutta is still relatively far from a return, which could affect his trade value at the upcoming deadline. Rutta is a pending unrestricted free agent right-handed shot defenseman who would likely have some value as a potential depth option for a contending team.

Golden Knights Place William Karlsson on LTIR, Recall Three

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The Vegas Golden Knights are spending their final days before the 4-Nations Face-Off break by jumping through salary cap hoops. They’ve announced a litany of roster moves intended to maximize their cap space accrued from long-term injured reserve, all captured by PuckPedia. Vegas first recalled winger Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid, then reassigned center Raphael Lavoie. Those moves placed them $135K under the cap ceiling. Vegas then placed top center William Karlsson on long-term injured reserve and recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg, which they wouldn’t have been able to afford without shelving Karlsson. By recalling two players and getting as close to the cap ceiling as they could before moving Karlsson, Vegas maximized the amount of LTIR cap relief they were provided. They now sit with $5.133MM in available cap space, but will be one contract’s worth of cap over the limit when Karlsson is back to full health.

The string of moves were a great exercise in how to leverage the NHL’s LTIR policies, but Vegas will still be worse for wear without Karlsson. The 32-year-old centerman hasn’t played since January 20th, when he sustained a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues. He was immediately ruled out week-to-week, and the team still didn’t have a clear timeline for his return 10 days later. An LTIR placement will now force him out of the lineup through at least February 24th, the second game after Vegas returns from break.

Karlsson has continued to serve as a top center for the Golden Knights, but his season has been filled with abnormal scoring struggles. He has just 18 points in 38 games on the year, and was amidst a seven-game scoring slump prior to his injury. Karlsson has one assist in 10 games since the start of 2025. He’s still provided strong performances for the Golden Knights away from the scoresheet. He currently sits with a fantastic 58.9 percent faceoff win-rate that ranks Karlsson fifth among all NHL centers. Karlsson has also recorded 89 shots on goal and a plus-seven, respectively ranking him third and fifth among the team’s forwards.

Those numbers represent an impact that’ll be hard for Vegas to replace. Their flurry of moves leaves the task of filling in up to Rondbjerg and Holtz. The latter has far-and-away been the more popular fixture of Vegas’ lineup. Holtz has scored 11 points in 49 games this season, while Rondbjerg hasn’t yet scored through 10 appearances. The duo should both earn ice-time on Vegas’ left wing while the team deals with absences to Karlsson, Lavoie, Cole Schwindt, and Tanner Pearson.

Golden Knights’ William Karlsson Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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11:31 a.m.: Laczynski has been recalled from AHL Henderson along with winger Brendan Brisson, the team announced. The pair of recalls indicates both Karlsson and Schwindt have been placed on IR. This is the first recall for the 23-year-old Brisson since October, after he went pointless in seven games to begin the year. The 2020 first-rounder has struggled with just four goals and 14 points in 31 AHL games since his demotion.

10:48 a.m.: The Golden Knights announced Thursday that center William Karlsson will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Karlsson, 32, also missed the first eight regular season games with an undisclosed injury. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote this morning that there’s been a lingering injury bothering Karlsson that could prevent him from suiting up for Sweden in next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off, so it stands to reason the two are related.

One of three players remaining on Vegas’ roster from their inaugural season, Karlsson has operated as the Knights’ third-line center when healthy in 2024-25. With the reduction in role has come a slight decrease in minutes, with his 17:11 ATOI clocking in as his lowest during his Vegas tenure by a slight margin.

Likely due to a combination of his reduction in power-play usage and his nagging injury, this season has been a tough one for Karlsson offensively. He’s scored seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points through 38 games, down sharply from last year’s resurgent 30-goal, 60-point campaign.

Karlsson has remained valuable to Vegas in other ways. He’s winning faceoffs at a career-best 58.9% rate, leading the team. He also grades out as their top defensive forward this season, recording team-best marks at even strength in CF% (54.8) and GA/60 (1.8), the latter of which only leads Knights forwards.

The alternate captain’s absence is a big one for the Golden Knights, who will likely turn to Nicolas Roy to increase his minutes at even strength and on the penalty kill to compensate. Roy’s point production isn’t dissimilar to Karlsson’s this season, but his defensive play is a sizeable downgrade. Vegas allows 3.2 GA/60 at even strength with Roy on the ice, and his Corsi share while shorthanded is the worst among the team’s regular penaltykillers.

Vegas has a full active roster, and they also received news Tuesday that depth forward Cole Schwindt carries a week-to-week designation with a lower-body issue. One of them will presumably land on injured reserve today to allow the Knights to recall a forward for tonight’s game against the Blues. Tanner Laczynski, a natural center with a goal in six appearances for Vegas earlier this season, is the likeliest recall option.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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