Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will not be available for the start of the first-round series against the Utah Mammoth as he continues to rehab from a lower-body injury, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Friday.
While he hasn’t been officially ruled out for the series, which begins Sunday at T-Mobile Arena, McCrimmon said in March that the Knights would have to have “some success in the playoffs for him to play again.”
McCrimmon said the rest of the roster that played in the regular season finale Wednesday are healthy.
“I know it’s a question everybody wants to ask,” McCrimmon said. “I’m telling you what I can, but he’s continuing to progress. He’s further along than the last time I saw you guys.”
Karlsson has not played since Nov. 8 when he suffered the apparent injury following the first period against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 33-year-old did the first intermission interview on the Knights’ broadcast, but didn’t return for the second period and has not been seen since.
Karlsson was not placed on season-ending long-term injured reserve, giving him the chance to return to the lineup should the Knights need a cap-compliant gameday roster.
The Original Misfit had seven points in 14 games this season. Karlsson has played 569 of his 752 career games since the Knights selected him in the 2017 expansion draft.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.