The Vegas Golden Knights are putting together another strong season as they look to clip off another Stanley Cup. Come the Olympics, many of their best players will be heading to Milan. Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, Mitch Marner, and Tomas Hertl are all locks to make their teams. But according to TSN's Darren Dreger, William Karlsson will not play for Team Sweden due to an injury.
“It appears Golden Knights' William Karlsson will not be available for the Olympics. Tough break for Sweden as he was expected to be on the team,” Dreger reported.
Karlsson was not part of Team Sweden for the 4 Nations Face-Off, also due to an injury. He was out from late January until late March due to a lower-body injury. That meant he was not in Montreal and Boston for the tournament, where Sweden did not qualify for the championship. Now, he will not be there when they look to get back to the Gold Medal game for the first time since 2006.
Karlsson has been a fantastic playoff player for the Golden Knights, scoring 71 points in 106 games. His presence on both the 2018 and 2023 teams helped them get to the Stanley Cup Final and win the '23 title. That kind of history would be key for Sweden, who will be a younger team than the experienced Canada and US squads.
Young forwards Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom, and William Eklund will now compete for the final spot. None of those three players made the 4 Nations squad last year, but veterans Gustav Nyquist and Viktor Arvidsson have likely vacated their spots. After a sluggish 4 Nations performance, Sweden is looking for a jolt. Karlsson could have been that player, but he won't be available.
Karlsson has not played for the Golden Knights since November 8 due to a lower-body injury. Vegas continues their season without him on New Year's Eve against the Nashville Predators.
