For the Golden Knights, a lot has changed in the last few months. New head coach, new starting goalie, new 4th line, new “mindset.” But, maybe bigger than all of it is something that’s not new at all. The return of William Karlsson.
From the moment Karlsson stepped back into the lineup, the Golden Knights have looked like a more complete team. It has shifted Mitch Marner into a new position, his natural one; it has allowed Tortorella a chance to utilize Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev in a more offensive role; and it has given Vegas the ultimate shutdown line, which has neutralized Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Leo Carlsson, and Troy Terry.
Well, he is one of the originals, right? Has won a Cup, has been a leader of this team, has been a huge part of the organization. -John Tortorella
Nowhere has this been more evident than in one stat: William Karlsson leads the entire NHL since the Golden Knights entered the league. In Karlsson’s 115 postseason appearances, he has registered a +47 rating. That’s three better than Jaccob Slavin’s +44, seven better than Nathan MacKinnon’s +40, and an unbelievable 27 better than Connor McDavid’s +20.
This postseason, Karlsson has been on the ice for eight goals for while just three goals against. One of the goals was during a power play, which means his +/- in the nine games this postseason is +6.
In his VGK playoff career, Karlsson has been on the ice for an incredible 124 Vegas goals while out there for just 73 against.
He’s a legitimate, bona fide, shutdown center, and has been for eight consecutive playoff runs for the Golden Knights. In addition, he’s scored 76 points, 32 goals, three shorthanded goals, and three game-winning goals, including an OT clincher in Game 3 of 2018 against the Sharks.
The team is 69-46 in the postseason when he’s in the lineup. They are 333-181-55 (.634) in the regular season.
It’s impossible to quantify how much each change to the roster has had on the Golden Knights’ success, but there’s no question Karlsson’s injection into the lineup has had a massive impact and is a huge reason why Vegas is one win away from a third trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Jerry Crowell
Wild Bill statue imminent……
Vic
Hope he’s preparing for his next victory parade speech.
knights fan in minny
It would be tough to top that All Time Classic from Wild Bill
TS
I hope he stays sober.enough that he doesn’t need an escort to get him off the stage!!
Pistol Pete
Karlsson is the best center for Marner probably as good or better than Marner with Eichel because you are putting the two most elite players on different lines. Then you put Stone who is also a shut down forward with Hertl and now you have three offensive lines with elite defenders. And the fourth line is basically shut down as well. All and all a deep forward group that is hard to score against. No wonder they are up 3-0 against the best regular season team in the league.
knights fan in minny
I would love to see them play as a Line next year for a whole year they would do some damage
Pistol Pete
No wonder the PK is good when you have Eichel, Karlsson, Stone, Marner and Howden as shorthanded threats plus Dowd, Kolesar, Sissons and Kolesar who can lock it down and clear the puck.
DruBlu
Ok, good! I was wondering why my gold home jersey says “KARLSSON – 71” on it. Now I know! Thanks, Ken! (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge) ;)
Love that hilarious friggin guy.
Elite, discreet, great stick & great feet.
knights fan in minny
Wild Bill One of the best 200 foot players in the NHL Without a doubt
Pistol Pete
Surprised to see C. Smith is listed as in. It looked a lot like he took a disabling injury to that arm.
Peter Turner
Everybody loves a superstar story, and sure — it’s exciting when one player catches fire and grabs all the headlines. But let’s remember something important here: hockey isn’t figure skating. Nobody’s winning this thing solo. This is a team sport, and in my completely unbiased, absolutely objective, totally-not-homer opinion… the VGK are the best TEAM in the postseason right now.
That said… let’s maybe not start carving statues just yet.
It’s still early. The chickens are still very much uncounted, uncooked, and probably skating around somewhere. We don’t need to canonize one player every time he scores a big goal. That’s what other fanbases do. Around here? Every guy on that roster is a hero. Every one of them deserves the cheers, the support, and the love from the Fortress faithful.
But if we’re going to spotlight players, I’d rather hear more about who they are than endless “greatest playoff performer ever?” debates after Game 3. Tell us the stories behind the helmets. The stuff fans don’t normally get to see.
For example…
Back in 2023, fresh off the Stanley Cup championship, VGK held their first Golden Carpet event for the 2023–24 season opener against the then one-year-old Seattle Kraken. Naturally, being a rational hockey fan with excellent time-management skills, I showed up THREE HOURS early.
At first it was calm. Then slowly the circus rolled into town.
First came the media crew — Dave Goucher, Shane Hnidy, Bruce Cusick, Mark Shunock, Gary Lawless, the whole cast of characters. Then the entertainment squad arrived: the band, the Vivas, Chance the mascot, even Lee the Golden Knight himself looking like he had just stepped out of a medieval Vegas fever dream.
And then… the players arrived.
Absolute chaos.
Fans were screaming names from every direction like traders on the stock market floor. Jerseys flying everywhere. Posters shoved into the air. Sharpies being tossed around like relay batons. Everyone wanted autographs, selfies, fist bumps, anything.
“MARCHY!”
“STONE!”
“WILD BILL!”
“JACK!”
“CHANDLER!”
Meanwhile, the star players were trying to fight their way through the desert heat and into the arena entrance while the crowd practically turned into a hockey-themed mosh pit.
Needless to say, my autograph success rate wasn’t exactly Hall of Fame worthy.
But then, farther back in the line, came this younger guy who had only joined the team the year before. Clean suit. Perfect hair. Calm smile. No rushing. No “sorry guys, gotta go.” He stopped for almost everyone.
He signed posters, jerseys, mini sticks — whatever people handed him. And when he got to me, he smiled and signed my miniature Stanley Cup championship banner.
And that’s how I got Brett Howden’s autograph.
#21.
Not the loudest moment of the day.
Not the flashiest.
But honestly?
Despite the 88 degree vegas heat
One of the coolest.
Close it out guys. GKG!
Carl
Awesome experience. Lucky you!
TS
Nice post! Howden has proven his value, his abilities, his toughness— he’s one of my favorites! Hertl is another— great attitude, great effort every moment on ice, even when he isn’t scoring.
We hv so many great players with the integrity to go with the skills. We don’t play dirty. We play really smart hockey.
Other teams must be shaking their heads right now, totally stunned at our season- end turnaround, and our Playoff success.
Matter of fact, I feel the same way– who flipped the switch????
Peter Turner
I watched that kid grow into the man and player he is today right before our eyes.
Back then, he was just another unknown name — a young player shipped away by the Rangers, easy for the rest of the hockey world to overlook. None of us could have known that behind the warm smile, the honest eyes, and that unforgettable Fruit Loop-colored tie was a young man about to endure more pressure and pain than most veterans ever face.
Before his NHL career could even truly begin, Brett Howden found himself caught in the storm surrounding his former World Junior teammate Carter Hart and the horrific court case that followed. That kind of weight destroys people. It breaks confidence. It crushes careers before they ever have the chance to bloom.
But not him.
Howden stood tall through all of it. Quietly. Humbly. Relentlessly. He showed the kind of mental toughness, character, and resilience that defines what it means to wear a Vegas Golden Knights jersey.
And now? Look at him.
He’s become indispensable — the kind of player every championship team needs but few truly appreciate enough. Put him on any line, in any situation, against any opponent, and he gives you everything he has. Every single shift.
Look at the playoff run he gave this team. Look at those record-breaking shorthanded goals. Look at the speed, the relentless effort, the sacrifice, the trust he’s earned from his coaches and brothers on the ice.
He may never be the flashy superstar plastered across league advertisements, but Brett Howden embodies the soul of this team. Grit. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Heart.
He is the Vegas Golden Knights identity.
Carl
There is a strong case to award Wild Bill with “Golden Knight of the Decade” based on his contributions to the VGK since the inaugural season. Eichel, Stone, and other late-comers have been tremendous, but:
Wild Bill has been here from DAY FUCKING ONE!
He has been the backbone of the VGK all 9 years.
I can’t wait for win #16, to hear THAT victory speech!
KnightWatch
Clarence C is in the house and photo ready.
He doesn’t feel like getting on another plane so…. GKG
KnightWatch
P.S. He’ll understand if Wild Bill and crew don’t touch him.
We remember what happened in 2018 and then how 2023 worked out.
JB
Have lots of favorite Knights player of course, but my best two are probably WildBill and Howie ! Love both those guys!
knights fan in minny
The sweep is tonight Jb
vgk21
Karlsson was also the key to the miracle misfit season #1.
why? because the other top players had already had some NHL success before coming to Vegas. Fleury, Marchessault , Smith McNabb etc.
but Wild Bill? people forget that he was the 4th line center for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he scored exactly 6 goals in the preceding season.
Karlsson went from 6 goals to 43 with Vgk
…from 25 pts to 78
from plus 10 to plus 49
from 6.3 shooting % to 23.4 with Vgk
….and of course his stellar defensive work and excellent playmaking helped Smith and Marchy to their success as well.
so, it was Wild Bill’s miraculous transformation from 4th line role player to top line NHL superstar centerman in just one summer that propelled the VGK to Stanley cup final heights with a roster full of castoffs and misfits.