On Thursday, June 11, John Tortorella dropped a crucial update on forward William Karlsson. The Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach shared the news after Karlsson exited Game 5.

TSN shared the news on their official X account about Karlsson’s fitness update from Tortorella in the postgame press conference.

“William Karlsson likely will not return in the Stanley Cup Final, per HC John Tortorella. He left Game 5 following a hit from Sean Walker and reportedly left the arena to receive treatment,” they wrote on X.

At the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC, Karlsson got injured in the early phase of the second period when the score line was 1-1. His left arm made contact with the glass when Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker hit him on the right side.

Shortly after, the Vegas alternate captain completed his last shift of Game 5 at 8:26 during the second period. He was apparently feeling the pinch in his left arm when the trainer worked on him.

Karlsson ultimately went to the locker room at 8:35 of the second period during a stoppage in the game before heading outside for further treatment.

“We’ve got to find a way to fill that void. Not just with one guy, but as a team,” Tortorella explained. There is no margin for error for them in Game 6 to stay in the SCF and force the best-of-seven series decider after going 3-2 down.

William Karlsson has faced injury trouble for most of the season

In the 2025-26 regular season, William Karlsson played the first 14 games and scored 11 points (4G / 7A) before missing the rest. He suffered a lower-body injury on November 8, 2025, and needed nearly six months to get over it.

Karlsson returned to action on May 4, 2026, for Vegas in Game 1 of the second round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks. Since then, he has played 15 playoff games, scoring three goals and providing six assists for nine points with a plus-10 rating.

His teammate and defenseman Brayden McNabb hailed him after Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, which ended with a loss for them.

“It’s tough, he’s done a great job coming back,” McNabb said, as per the NHL. “He’s an awesome player, a big leader in the room. He’s a Day 1 guy. Been around a long time; he’s a 200-foot player. You definitely miss him when he’s not in there. So hopefully he can play, but if not, we’ll be ready.”

How will the Vegas Golden Knights cope if William Karlsson misses the remaining games in the Stanley Cup Final? Give us your opinion in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi