First of all, credit where credit is due to the Vegas Golden Knights. They just made their third Stanley Cup Final in franchise history, and are easily the greatest expansion franchise since the 1979 Edmonton Oilers.
Among the many franchise defining moves made by the Knights, the expansion draft pick up of William Karlsson has to be among their greatest. Left unprotected by the Columbus Blue Jackets, who chose to protect a 35-year-old Scott Hartnell for what would be his final National Hockey League season instead, Karlsson proceeded to score 43 goals as a Knight, and was a big reason why they made the Cup Final in their inaugural season
Steady but inconsistent
Karlsson is one of the few remaining Knights from Year 1. He hasn't come close to that 43 goal total since, but has been a reliable scorer when he's been on the ice. His ongoing value was clear in the Final series versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Karlsson's absence was keenly felt by the Knights and they ultimately had to watch the Hurricanes carry the Stanley Cup around their home rink, never winning another game after Karlsson's injury.
That theory, the idea that Karlsson is a great player who misses a significant amount of playing time due to injury, does hold water. Entering his final year of an eight year contract, which will be his tenth as a Knight, Karlsson has only managed to complete three 82 game seasons. This recent year, he missed all but 14 games due to a "lower body" injury, and while the Vegas franchise has been known to have convenient injuries that offer them valuable salary cap space, Karlsson wasn't quite the same player when he returned, suggesting he was legitimately hurt.
At 33, he's unlikely to approach his career highs in terms of point production ever again, and any time a skill player is out of your lineup, you're forced to elevate depth players, many of whom aren't capable of, or ready for, the pressure to produce in a Top 6 roster spot.
All of the above has to come with this caveat: Sometimes an aging player IS capable of solid production in fewer minutes, and that reduced ice time can limit their exposure to rough play and allow them to maintain their health. But for the Oilers, who would never be offered a gift by their divisional rival Golden Knights, any trade offer that might come their way should be viewed with skepticism. If Karlsson is for sale, it's buyer beware.
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