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Photo of William Karlsson

William Karlsson

#71 · Centre · Vegas Golden Knights

Born Jan 8, 1993 in Marsta, SWE (age 33) · 6'0", 190 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 53rd overall in 2011 by ANA (round 2)

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2022-23
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Sportsmanship and Gentlemanly Conduct 2017-18

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2017-18. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Tyler Seguin DAL · 78 P in 82 GP Aleksander Barkov FLA · 78 P in 79 GP Jamie Benn DAL · 79 P in 82 GP David Pastrnak BOS · 80 P in 82 GP Eric Staal MIN · 76 P in 82 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

02040602014-15: 5 points514-152015-16: 20 points2015-162016-17: 25 points2516-172017-18: 78 points7817-182018-19: 56 points5618-192019-20: 46 points4619-202020-21: 39 points3920-212021-22: 35 points3521-222022-23: 53 points5322-232023-24: 60 points6023-242024-25: 29 points2924-252025-26: 7 points725-262026-27: 1 points126-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2014-15 ANA 18 2 1 3 1 2 24 14 0.17 $831K
2014-15 CBJ 3 1 1 2 2 0 5 4 0.67
2015-16 CBJ 81 9 11 20 -9 6 108 40 0.25 $831K
2016-17 CBJ 81 6 19 25 10 10 96 35 0.31 $1M
2017-18 VGK 82 43 35 78 49 12 184 48 0.95 $1M
2018-19 VGK 82 24 32 56 1 16 169 51 0.68 $5.25M
2019-20 VGK 63 15 31 46 11 16 138 40 0.73 $5.9M
2020-21 VGK 56 14 25 39 19 4 111 29 0.70 $5.9M
2021-22 VGK 67 12 23 35 3 10 135 42 0.52 $5.9M
2022-23 VGK 82 14 39 53 14 10 161 50 0.65 $5.9M
2023-24 VGK 70 30 30 60 15 22 175 43 0.86 $5.9M
2024-25 VGK 53 9 20 29 17 4 119 20 0.55 $5.9M
2025-26 VGK 14 4 3 7 -1 4 30 3 0.50 $5.9M
2026-27 VGK 5 0 1 1 -2 0 7 0 0.20 $5.9M
13 seasons Career 757 183 271 454 130 116 1462 419 0.60

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2016-17 CBJ 5 2 1 3 4 0 12 4 0.60
2017-18 VGK 20 7 8 15 8 2 50 30 0.75
2018-19 VGK 7 2 3 5 1 2 17 9 0.71
2019-20 VGK 17 3 4 7 -1 0 45 24 0.41
2020-21 VGK 19 4 12 16 10 2 34 25 0.84
2022-23 VGK 22 11 6 17 11 2 45 15 0.77
2023-24 VGK 7 0 2 2 4 0 9 8 0.29
2024-25 VGK 11 3 3 6 5 0 17 2 0.55
2025-26 VGK 15 3 6 9 10 4 24 6 0.60
9 seasons Playoffs 123 35 45 80 52 12 253 123 0.65

2017-18 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 43 35 78 49 12 184 48 0.95 23.4 18:43

Contract

$1MCap hitends in 2018
$13KCap dollars per point78 points in 82 games
$69KCap dollars per goal above replacement14.6 goals above replacement
$9.9MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$8.9MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 691 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jun 23, 2016, as an extension of the contract he was on: 2 years and $2M, beginning in 2016-17. It runs through 2017-18, so this is its last season.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2016-17 $1M $1M $0 $1M
2017-18 $1M $1M $0 $1M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Sep 30, 2026 Vegas Golden Knights Extension 2027-28 to 2028-29 2 $13.5M $6.75M
Jun 24, 2019 Vegas Golden Knights Extension 2019-20 to 2026-27 8 $47.2M $5.9M
Aug 4, 2018 Vegas Golden Knights New contract 2018-19 to 2018-19 1 $5.25M $5.25M
Jun 23, 2016 Columbus Blue Jackets Extension 2016-17 to 2017-18 2 $2M $1M
May 19, 2013 Anaheim Ducks Entry-level 2013-14 to 2015-16 3 $2.775M $831K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2017-18 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2017-18 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+14.6Goals above replacement15th of 691 skaters, 14th of 451 forwards
+2.4Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+10.3Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 451 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+4.7 88th percentileEven-strength defence+2.3 88th percentilePower play+1.1 90th percentilePenalty kill+0.3 87th percentilePenalties+1.8 89th percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

051015202014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232024-252026-27Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

53.0Corsi for %1146 attempts for, 1016 against
+3.0CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.4Expected goals for %48.8 expected for, 42.6 against
+4.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.1Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
69.1Goals for %67 for, 30 against
105.0PDO10.6% shooting + 94.4% saves
224Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 600 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Reilly Smith · William Karlsson · Jonathan Marchessault61708:4155.155.746-23
William Karlsson · Jonathan Marchessault · Alex Tuch2586:0358.161.34-1
Tomas Tatar · William Karlsson · Jonathan Marchessault963:4648.538.93-0
James Neal · William Karlsson · Jonathan Marchessault3138:2457.151.12-2

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

41Goalsnot counting empty-netters
24.4Expected goalsfrom 260 unblocked attempts
+16.6Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.95 expected goals per 60 minutes84th
Shot quality 9.4% chance per attempt94th
Finishing +16.6 goals above expected99thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 423 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

010203040Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 41Expected 24.4

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 7, 2018 @ CGY L 1-7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:18
Apr 5, 2018 @ EDM L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:17
Apr 3, 2018 @ VAN W 5-4 (SO) 1 2 3 3 0 2 1 21:24
Mar 31, 2018 vs SJS W 3-2 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 20:04
Mar 30, 2018 vs STL W 4-3 (OT) 1 2 3 3 0 4 4 22:19
Mar 28, 2018 vs ARI L 2-3 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 21:10
Mar 26, 2018 vs COL W 4-1 1 2 3 1 0 3 0 18:30
Mar 24, 2018 @ COL L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 21:09
Mar 22, 2018 @ SJS L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 17:55
Mar 20, 2018 vs VAN W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 17:27
Mar 18, 2018 vs CGY W 4-0 3 0 3 3 0 4 1 18:26
Mar 16, 2018 vs MIN L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 19:33
Mar 14, 2018 vs NJD L 3-8 0 0 0 1 0 6 1 18:12
Mar 12, 2018 @ PHI W 3-2 1 0 1 -1 2 5 1 20:07
Mar 10, 2018 @ BUF W 2-1 (SO) 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 21:19
Mar 8, 2018 @ DET W 4-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 18:00
Mar 6, 2018 @ CBJ L 1-4 0 0 0 -3 0 1 1 16:21
Mar 4, 2018 @ NJD W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 18:51
Mar 2, 2018 vs OTT L 4-5 1 1 2 2 0 3 0 21:37
Feb 27, 2018 vs LAK L 1-4 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 18:34
Feb 26, 2018 @ LAK L 2-3 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 23:01
Feb 23, 2018 vs VAN W 6-3 2 1 3 1 0 3 0 17:16
Feb 21, 2018 vs CGY W 7-3 1 0 1 1 0 4 0 20:32
Feb 19, 2018 vs ANA L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 18:33
Feb 17, 2018 vs MTL W 6-3 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 18:30
Feb 15, 2018 vs EDM W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 18:03
Feb 13, 2018 vs CHI W 5-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 20:52
Feb 11, 2018 vs PHI L 1-4 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 15:49
Feb 8, 2018 @ SJS W 5-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 17:26
Feb 6, 2018 @ PIT L 4-5 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 20:56
Feb 4, 2018 @ WSH W 4-3 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 19:52
Feb 2, 2018 @ MIN L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 18:44
Feb 1, 2018 @ WPG W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 19:59
Jan 30, 2018 @ CGY W 4-2 0 2 2 0 0 3 1 17:39
Jan 25, 2018 vs NYI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 20:00
Jan 23, 2018 vs CBJ W 6-3 2 0 2 3 0 3 2 17:58
Jan 21, 2018 @ CAR W 5-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 19:02
Jan 19, 2018 @ FLA L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 0 2 1 19:36
Jan 18, 2018 @ TBL W 4-1 1 0 1 1 4 2 0 16:56
Jan 16, 2018 @ NSH L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 19:04
Jan 13, 2018 vs EDM L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 2 2 4 0 21:15
Jan 7, 2018 vs NYR W 2-1 1 0 1 1 0 5 1 18:40
Jan 5, 2018 @ CHI W 5-4 1 1 2 4 0 4 1 18:00
Jan 4, 2018 @ STL L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:39
Jan 2, 2018 vs NSH W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:14
Dec 31, 2017 vs TOR W 6-3 3 1 4 2 0 3 0 17:23
Dec 28, 2017 @ LAK W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 18:51
Dec 27, 2017 @ ANA W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 16:40
Dec 23, 2017 vs WSH W 3-0 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 15:35
Dec 19, 2017 vs TBL W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 16:54
Dec 17, 2017 vs FLA W 5-2 0 1 1 3 0 3 1 18:40
Dec 14, 2017 vs PIT W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 19:19
Dec 12, 2017 vs CAR L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:36
Dec 9, 2017 @ DAL W 5-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 19:24
Dec 8, 2017 @ NSH W 4-3 (SO) 1 0 1 0 2 6 1 19:30
Dec 5, 2017 vs ANA W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 21:05
Dec 3, 2017 vs ARI W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 20:41
Dec 1, 2017 @ WPG L 4-7 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 20:05
Nov 30, 2017 @ MIN L 2-4 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 20:44
Nov 28, 2017 vs DAL L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 17:16
Nov 25, 2017 @ ARI W 4-2 1 1 2 1 0 2 1 19:46
Nov 24, 2017 vs SJS W 5-4 (OT) 2 0 2 0 0 7 0 18:58
Nov 22, 2017 @ ANA W 4-2 1 1 2 2 0 5 1 16:27
Nov 19, 2017 vs LAK W 4-2 2 0 2 1 0 3 1 16:48
Nov 16, 2017 @ VAN W 5-2 1 1 2 3 0 2 0 17:34
Nov 14, 2017 @ EDM L 2-8 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 16:25
Nov 10, 2017 vs WPG W 5-2 2 0 2 2 0 4 0 18:51
Nov 7, 2017 @ MTL L 2-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 2 20:09
Nov 6, 2017 @ TOR L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 17:38
Nov 4, 2017 @ OTT W 5-4 1 1 2 0 0 2 1 18:43
Nov 2, 2017 @ BOS L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 19:21
Oct 31, 2017 @ NYR L 4-6 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 18:23
Oct 30, 2017 @ NYI L 3-6 1 0 1 -1 0 4 1 20:39
Oct 27, 2017 vs COL W 7-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 16:32
Oct 24, 2017 vs CHI W 4-2 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 20:45
Oct 21, 2017 vs STL W 3-2 (OT) 1 1 2 1 0 5 0 20:42
Oct 17, 2017 vs BUF W 5-4 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 19:43
Oct 15, 2017 vs BOS W 3-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 15:41
Oct 13, 2017 vs DET L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 13:56
Oct 10, 2017 vs ARI W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 13:43
Oct 7, 2017 @ ARI W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 18:36
Oct 6, 2017 @ DAL W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 16:35