Golden Knights center William Karlsson will be sidelined for the remainder of the week due to a lower-body injury, as announced by coach Bruce Cassidy. Following Vegas’ return from the Winter Classic in Seattle, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Kraken, Karlsson did not participate in the team’s first practice session. While Cassidy anticipates a short absence for Karlsson, the center will not be available for Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers or the matchup with the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Additionally, fourth-line forward Keegan Kolesar, dealing with an illness, missed practice but is expected to play on Thursday. In Karlsson’s absence, Cassidy has adjusted the line combinations, reverting to a successful formula from the previous season. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone have been separated from the first line, with Jonathan Marchessault joining Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
Stone has been reunited with his longtime linemate Chandler Stephenson, and rookie Pavel Dorofeyev has taken a spot on the left side. These combinations mirror those used during the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run last season, where Eichel led the team in playoff points, and Marchessault earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. Cassidy expressed the intention to assess the effectiveness of these line changes in the upcoming game.
Losing Karlsson is a significant setback for the Golden Knights, impacting both offensive production and special teams. Karlsson’s 15 goals rank third on the team, and his 32 points are on track to surpass last season’s total of 53. Moreover, Karlsson plays a crucial role in special teams, contributing 11 points on the power play and serving on the first penalty-killing unit with Eichel.
The injury to Karlsson compounds the team’s existing challenges, with defenseman Shea Theodore week-to-week due to an upper-body injury and Adin Hill recovering from a lower-body injury since late November. With a recent string of losses, Cassidy is relying on young players such as Dorofeyev and Paul Cotter to step up in Karlsson’s absence.
