Can the Montreal Canadiens find a solution to their second-line center problem in veteran Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson?
The Canadiens are still working hard to find that center that could fit the team either long-term or as a stopgap solution until their top prospect is ready to take over the role. When it comes to stopgap options, there may be no easier option than Karlsson. He may not be the most qualified option on the market for the Habs, but the Vegas Golden Knights desperately need to clear cap space before the end of the offseason as they are currently $8,611,182 over the cap for the 2026-27 campaign. This problem could be solved by setting Alex Pietrangelo’s cap at $8.8 million for LTIR, but they won’t be able to significantly change the salary if they go that route and so they should try to remove the salary. This is where a player like Karlsson can become a casualty of the match.
Given the Vegas -8.61M limit issue, I dare say someone needs to be moved.
1.Thomas Hertl
2. William Karlsson
3. Ivan Barbashev
Who would you fans take if given the opportunity?
1, 2 or 3?
And if you could take two of these three, who would they be?— Al Ferguson (Fergie) (@_AlFerg) July 4, 2026
The Canadiens are likely looking at prospect Michael Hage as their future second-line center as he has all the tools to become an NHL star someday. However, since he returns to Michigan for the 2026-27 season, the Canadiens will need a temporary break for at least one season.
Karlsson will make $5.9 million for one more season before becoming a UFA, giving the Habs an easy post-season move. Hage can then take over, or if they need to bring Karlsson back for a year, they can do that too. The 33-year-old Swede played in just 14 games last season due to a lower-body injury that kept him out for a long time, in which he scored 4 goals and 7 points. He also played in 15 playoff games for the Golden Knights, scoring 3 goals and 9 points.
With that said, there is a risk in bringing in Karlsson, but the playoffs have shown that he still has the ability to be an average second-line center at this point. While the last few years have been up and down for Karlsson, as he is years removed from his breakout year back in 2017-18 when he scored 43 goals and 78 points in 82 games, he has shown that when healthy he can score somewhere between 55 and 60 points, which is a respectable number for a second-line center in the league. That’s why it’s worth taking a chance on him, as he could ideally slot into the center position on a line with an experienced playmaker like Ivan Demidov.
Currently in Vegas – $5,138,330 over limit.
Karlsson, William, $5,900,000 for 1 year
— HABSGIFS® (@HabsGifs) July 1, 2026
In fact, when Karlsson was on the roster last season, he was ranked alongside another great playmaker who makes everyone around him better: Mitch Marner. The same situation occurs with Demidov, meaning Karlsson will never have to be a helper on his line, which could make him an easier role as a second-line center.
Karlsson would also take some of the pressure off Phillip Danault as he was the only reliable lefty on the team. Although the sample size was small this season, Karlsson won 57.6% of his draws (91 of 158) during the regular season, which is impressive. He also has a history of winning 52% to 58% of his faceoffs on the season, which will be a huge boost for the Canadiens.
Kent could only trade for an RHD upgrade and a temporary 2C veteran (William Karlsson, since he lost his cap in Vegas?) and I’d be ok with that, knowing those two would be around in April/next season.
— Frank (@ffrankk88) July 2, 2026
If the Canadiens were to try to acquire him, he would become another penalty killing option and would almost certainly be the turning point of the second power play unit. The best part is that with his experience and Stanley Cup victory in 2023, he will become the leader of the youngest team in the NHL. As a result, it should be a good fit for the short term.
The biggest challenge will be can Karlsson stay healthy next season after an injury-riddled season that even ended prematurely in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final (the Golden Knights lost in six games)? After the finals, Karlsson underwent surgery to repair a broken wrist suffered during that playoff series. It’s obviously been a tough season for Karlsson and he’s nearing the end of his career, so a downturn in his play is inevitable in the near future. Although his acquisition price will likely be low considering the situation the Golden Knights are in.
The truth is that the Canadiens have the opportunity to acquire an experienced second-line center for something like a mid-round pick or a cheap prospect. On the other hand, the Golden Knights are a team that traded Marc-Andre Fleury after winning the Vezina Trophy for the future and are known to give away their losses for next to nothing, so perhaps Karlsson could be used for future considerations. If that’s the case, the Canadiens could get a temporary second-line center for free if the Golden Knights continue their trend of waiving players for cap space.
I always thought it was more realistic to think outside the box. An example would be William Karlsson or a young man who has not yet proven himself like Shane Wright, Mavrik Bourque, in short, any young man who has not yet achieved success in his training.
— Plante Charles (@chuckfather_) July 4, 2026
At the end of the day, there’s no reason why the Canadiens couldn’t take advantage of the Golden Knights situation to get a piece, which could be a short-term solution since getting this player would be either nothing or very little. Though that’s probably the plan if the Canadiens can’t land a younger center who could help for a few years, since the reality is that Karlsson will almost certainly just be a one-year option. Considering it will be better than what they have now, it’s worth it without any risk.
Do you agree that the Canadiens should consider Karlsson as a potential target on the cheap?