William Karlsson probably ‘not going to be with’ Golden Knights after Game 5 injury, Tortorella says

William Karlsson, whose return from injury has been a compelling storyline for the Vegas Golden Knights in these playoffs, left Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday with an injury and his status for the rest of the series appears to be in doubt.

Karlsson was injured in the second period when hit hard by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker. Karlsson’s left arm was in clear discomfort on the bench. Not long after, Karlsson went to the locker room and Vegas’ athletic trainer whispered in coach John Tortorella’s ear, and the coach looked displeased. Karlsson did not return to the game, and a league source told The Athletic that Karlsson went to a local hospital during the game.

Asked about Karlsson after the game, Tortorella first said, “No update,” but then spoke more about Karlsson.

“He’s an important piece for us,” Tortorella said. “Up the middle of the ice, penalty killer, power-play guy, and he’s a winner. But having said that, it’s all good stuff. He’s not going to be with us, probably, so we gotta find a way to fill that void, not just with one guy, but as a team.”

Karlsson was limited to 14 regular-season games because of a lower-body injury and didn’t play after Nov. 8. He was able to return for the start of the second round against Anaheim and had three goals and six assists in 15 playoff games.

If Karlsson can’t play Game 6, the Golden Knights could move Tomaš Hertl to center and insert Reilly Smith or Brandon Saad into the lineup.

“He means so much,” Vegas’ Jack Eichel said of Karlsson. “He’s a world-class player. He plays in all situations. He’s extremely reliable in our own zone, and he creates a lot of offense. So, yeah, he’s a huge part of our group.”

Teammate Brayden McNabb said: “It’s tough. He’s done a great job coming back. He’s an awesome player, big leader in this room.”