Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) handles the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
LAS VEGAS (AP) – The slumping Vegas Golden Knights suffered another loss Thursday when they announced center William Karlsson is week to week with a lower-body injury.
“We’ll see how that plays out,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It’s a hole in our lineup when he’s out, but we got through it earlier this year. It’s an opportunity for others.”
The club recalled Tanner Laczynski and Brendan Brisson from its American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson, Nevada.
Karlsson, 32, has seven goals and 11 assists in 38 games this season, well off the pace of the 30-30 mark he posted last year. He doesn’t have a point in his past seven games.
The Golden Knights entered Thursday’s game at St. Louis first in the Pacific Division with 62 points. But they were 1-5-1 in their previous seven games, allowing the Edmonton Oilers to creep to within a point.
Karlsson has dealt with injuries in recent years, appearing in 70 or fewer games in four of the past five seasons. He played in all 82 games two years ago.
Karlsson missed the first eight games this season because of a hamstring injury he sustained in last season’s playoffs.
“He’s obviously a big loss for us,” forward Victor Olofsson said. “I think guys have got to step up and take a little bit more responsibility. I think we’ve been doing it all year. When guys have been out, we’ve been continuing to play well. We’ve just got to do the same thing again.”
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