The Vegas Golden Knights have locked up center William Karlsson on a two-year extension with an average annual value of $6.75 million, the club announced Wednesday.
Karlsson is entering the final season of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract (AAV: $5.9 million) he signed back in 2019, giving him a slight pay raise of $850,000.
The new deal consists of a $1.5 million base salary with a $6 million signing bonus in the first year and a $6 million salary in year two. It also features a modified no-trade clause with a 15-team no-trade list in both years.
The Golden Knights have taken care of another key piece of business to retain the Original Misfit through the end of 2028-29.
Vegas also recently re-signed captain Mark Stone to a two-year extension in the offseason. All core forwards and defensemen are now signed through at least the end of next year, with forward Victor Olofsson and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon being the only exceptions among starters.
Karlsson is a critical component of the Golden Knights’ success and has proven himself to be an excellent two-way pivot. He shines most in the playoffs, where he has become one of the better shutdown centers in the game.
Though his production has slowed considerably since his franchise-record 43-goal campaign in 2017-18, he continues to be a dynamic offensive threat for the Golden Knights who makes everyone around him better. He currently skates on the second line with Mitch Marner and Brett Howden, and he is especially effective on the penalty kill.
Injuries have kept Karlsson out of the lineup for long stretches over the last few seasons. He was limited to 53 games in 2024-25 and missed the majority of 2025-26, skating in just 14 regular-season contests before returning in the playoffs and helping the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final. However, he suffered a broken wrist in Game 5 and was unable to finish the series; Vegas was eliminated by Carolina in six games.
The two-time 30-goal scorer known as “Wild Bill” is second all-time in Golden Knights scoring with 165 goals and 403 points. He also ranks third in assists (238) and first in shorthanded points (26). In the postseason, Karlsson is second in games played (121) and third in goals (34) and points (80).
The 33-year-old native of Marsta, Sweden has 183 goals and 453 points in 753 career games with Anaheim, Columbus and Vegas.