Kirkell: Golden Knights Should Avoid Trading Karlsson At All Costs

The Vegas Golden Knights have some crucial decisions to make over the next few weeks, and the biggest involves Mitch Marner. 

Marner, a pending Free Agent, is set to hit the open market. He’s reportedly interested in the Golden Knights– and as we’ve learned in the past few weeks, the feeling is mutual. The Golden Knights tried to acquire the superstar winger from the Toronto Maple Leafs on more than one occasion.

In James Mirtle’s article for The Athletic on Monday, he revealed that the Golden Knights resumed Mitch Marner trade talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The talks fell through, but now Marner is a pending Free Agent; the Golden Knights can make him an offer on July 1st.

Read More: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs Discussed Three-Team Marner Trade

Of course, they’ll have to clear salary cap space first– and Mirtle suggested trading William Karlsson to do so.

“The Golden Knights’ cap situation this summer is tight,” wrote Mirtle. “But if they moved someone such as William Karlsson, who has a $5.9 million cap hit for two more years, they could make a competitive Marner bid.”

Mirtle is right about one thing: dumping Karlsson’s contract would be the easiest way to free up the salary cap required to sign Marner.

And, listen, if the Golden Knights are ever going to trade Karlsson, now is the time to do so. Half the league is in the market for a second-line center. The Free Agency crop is below average, but down the middle, it’s even weaker. His value will never be higher, and at 32, he’s not getting any younger.

That being said, there’s no world in which trading Karlsson works out for the Golden Knights.

What Karlsson brings to this Golden Knights team far outweighs what any return might look like. Yes, their depth scoring dried up in the postseason this year– but Karlsson’s play never wavered. He and Reilly Smith almost singlehandedly carried the Golden Knights to their only win of the second round.

Keeping Karlsson is imperative to the Golden Knights continuing to live up to their reputation as a well-balanced team. They’re one of the deepest teams in the league down the middle, which is arguably their greatest strength. Without Karlsson, they’d have to elevate a mostly untested Nic Roy to a third-line center role.

Read More: Golden Knights Defenseman on Block; Canadiens, Penguins Interested

Karlsson is one of the great unsung defensive forwards in hockey. He’s capable of shutting down the best players in the league, night in and night out. No one can truly contain Connor McDavid, but Karlsson can minimize the damage. If the Golden Knights trade Karlsson, who will assume those defensive responsibilities? Jack Eichel is certainly a defensive stalwart in his own right, but he can’t be the only center married to the McDavid matchup. He’ll tire himself out.

Yes, Karlsson struggled offensively during the regular season, but during the playoffs, he found a new gear. He was tied for fifth on the team in scoring during the postseason, with three goals and six points in 11 games.

On the ice, Karlsson is as steady as they come. He’s even-keeled, and it’s nearly impossible to throw him off his game. 

Karlsson draws penalties like a madman and doesn’t take many in turn– which is good because he’s probably the Golden Knights’ most effective penalty-killer. He was their most reliable player in the dot with a 58.1% faceoff win percentage.

Karlsson doesn’t wear a letter on his chest, but he’s one of the most important players to this team’s success. The Golden Knights don’t fall apart without him– but they’re certainly not better off.

I do believe the Golden Knights should find a way to shed salary and make a run at Marner in Free Agency. There isn’t a single player on this roster who can keep up with Jack Eichel; Marner would change that. He’s a 102-point perennial Selke candidate, and the Golden Knights should do everything in their power to sign him.

But not if Karlsson is the casualty.

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