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Golden Knights’ injury list gets more ridiculous with Karlsson out

Golden Knights' injury list gets more ridiculous with Karlsson out

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 22: William Karlsson #71 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena on October 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

The Vegas Golden Knights’ injury list was already bordering on the absurd, yet the hits keep coming. Troubling injury news surfaced for the Golden Knights on Monday, as it sounds like William Karlsson will miss significant time.

According to The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, Karlsson suffered a broken foot, and could miss about six weeks.

Add Karlsson to Golden Knights’ debilitating injury list

As you may recall, the Golden Knights have already been ravaged by injuries.


  • Heading into the season, they realized they’d be without Alex Tuch for some time. Some estimates place Tuch’s return to action around January.
  • Both Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty have missed significant time, and could miss quite a bit more, with their early-season injuries. With those two injuries, the Golden Knights miss two-thirds of a deadly line centered by Chandler Stephenson.
  • And, indeed, losing William Karlsson for about six weeks makes matters that much worse. Beyond his obvious skill, the Golden Knights will miss Karlsson’s versatility. His slickness and savvy make him an absolute nuisance on the penalty kill.
  • Sometimes, injuries serve up opportunities. Yet, in this case, that optimism is dampened. Instead of getting a chance to step up, Nolan Patrick is sidelined too.
  • Clearly, the Golden Knights’ offense has been hit hardest by injuries. That said, defenseman Zach Whitecloud is banged up, as well.

That’s ... a lot. Beyond Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, that forward group looks thin. There’s only so much solace in Stephenson getting a chance to show what he can do without Pacioretty and Stone.

Can someone like Peyton Krebs or Evgenii Dadonov step up?

Really, it puts that much more pressure on the Golden Knights’ defense, and Robin Lehner. In their next game, the injury-ravaged Golden Knights face the up-and-down Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.