LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will return for Game 1 of the team's second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night after missing nearly six months with a lower-body injury.
“He doesn't speak a lot, just plays the game the right way,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said following an optional practice that morning. “Looking forward to getting him back in the lineup.”
Karlsson was hurt in the
first period of Vegas’ 4-3 overtime loss against the Ducks on Nov. 8.
“It's been a long journey, but now I'm here," Karlsson said. "It feels good.”
Karlsson had four goals and three assists early in the season before the injury. He had back-to-back 50-point seasons, but finished with only 29 in 53 games last season, when he was sidelined twice because of injuries.
The Golden Knights held out the possibility that Karlsson, who has been an excellent two-way player, would return at some point even if it was deep in the playoffs. The organization never placed him on long-term injured reserve.
“I always had the goal in the back of my head that I wanted to return,” Karlsson said. “I always believed, so that kind of kept me going."
He was asked what his expectations were of his first game back.
“A hatty and six assists,” Karlsson said jokingly. “I'm going to keep the expectations low.”
Speculation of his return intensified when Karlsson returned to practice last week in Salt Lake City when the Golden Knights were playing the Utah Mammoth in their first-round series. He also practiced with the club's American Hockey League affiliate in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson.
Karlsson said getting his timing back could be an issue, but he thought “conditioning should be there. Get the chemistry going with the team again.”
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, who took a puck to his helmet in Friday's 5-1 series-clinching victory at Utah, will not play, Tortorella said.
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