William Karlsson’s injury that caused him to miss the final game of the Stanley Cup Final was a wrist issue that required surgery, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon noted to reporters earlier this week (video link). It was a tough end to an injury-riddled year for the 33-year-old as he only suited up in 14 games during the regular season due to a lower-body injury while also missing seven playoff contests. The expectation is that the Golden Knights are going to be looking to clear out salary to try to bring back Rasmus Andersson and Karlsson is one of the speculative candidates to be a cap casualty. However, another extended recovery for his wrist injury could make other teams a bit more wary about looking at acquiring him.
More from out West:
- The Kraken announced that they’ve hired former NHL defenseman Justin Schultz as a member of their development staff. The 35-year-old played parts of a dozen NHL seasons, recording 324 points in 745 games between four different teams. The last of those was with Seattle, as he spent two seasons with them in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Schultz went to Switzerland the following year but retired midway through the season. He’ll be tasked with working with the Kraken’s defense prospects as he begins his coaching career.
- Jets prospect Owen Martin is expected to transfer to Colorado College for the 2027-28 season, reports Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). The 19-year-old center was a third-round pick last year, going 95th overall. Martin played in 65 games with WHL Spokane this past season, recording 26 goals and 30 assists while adding five goals in six playoff games. The college commitment, if finalized before next June, would extend Winnipeg’s timeline to sign Martin to his entry-level deal.
