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William Karlsson was chosen by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2nd round of the 2011 NHL entry draft as the 53rd overall pick. He inked an eight-year contract with the Golden Knights on June 24, 2019, for $47.2 million.
The contract comprises $5.9 million in cap hit with an annual average salary of $5.9 million. Karlsson has a $5.6 million base salary with a minors salary of $5.6 million for the 2023-24 season.
Marsta native Karlsson has racked up a prolific 357 points in 615 games. He also has 66 playoff points in 93 games till the 2023-24 season. The 30-year-old Knights center will be an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) by the end of the 2026-27 season when he turns 34.
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William Karlsson has been rolling the dice in favor of his fortune, with estimated career earnings of $33.5 million.
After initiating his professional hockey career with the Anaheim Ducks, Karlsson was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets along with Rene Bourque and a second-round draft selection. The Blue Jackets gave the Ducks James Wisniewski and a third-round pick in 2015 in exchange.
The Columbus Blue Jackets exposed Karlsson for the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017. In their first season, the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights had the chance to choose players from different teams during the draft. As a result, they decided to add Karlsson to their roster.
William Karlsson’s professional hockey career
In the Vegas Golden Knights' inaugural NHL season in 2017–18, Karlsson was the center on a line with Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The trio showed remarkable connection and experienced a spike in their offensive performances, scoring at career-high rates.
Karlsson recorded his first-ever NHL hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 31, 2017, making it the first hat trick in Golden Knights history. He defeated the Calgary Flames to record the second hat trick on March 18, 2018.
Karlsson's efforts were impressive because they went beyond goal-scoring. During the regular season, he contributed 35 assists and had the best plus/minus rating (+45) in the NHL. Notably, his 43 goals set a new NHL record for the most scored by a player in the debut season of an expansion team. He is now ranked third in the league in overall scoring, only behind Patrik Laine and Alexander Ovechkin.
