The Golden Knights have already locked up Mark Stone and Braeden Bowman, and that naturally turns the spotlight toward William Karlsson.
Stone and Bowman’s extensions also say a lot about how Vegas is approaching its future cap picture. Heading into the 2027-28 season, the Golden Knights are sitting on roughly $21.53 million in cap space.
Alex Pietrangelo’s contract will be off the books, which means someone else will have to absorb the season-ending LTIR role. Sixteen of the 23 active roster spots are expected to be filled, and depth will be a major part of the conversation.
That opens the door for prospects and younger pieces like Trevor Connelly and Carl Lindbom, while also putting lower-tier roster players under the microscope at both forward and defense.
The Bowman deal is the easier one to digest from a team-building standpoint. His contract carries a $3.4 million cap hit, and that number should shrink in importance as the salary cap rises. He also doesn’t have a no-trade clause, giving Kelly McCrimmon more flexibility if the fit changes down the line.
Stone is a different kind of commitment, but the logic is the same. A 34-year-old with a $9 million cap hit is not simple to move, yet Vegas clearly values what he brings too much to worry about that. He delivered a career-best 1.22 points per game last season even while appearing in only 60 games, and the team’s 8-9-5 record without him last year underscored just how much his presence matters.
That’s where Karlsson comes in. If the Golden Knights extend him under the same broad thinking, his next deal would likely come in below his current $5.9 million.
It would also probably come without any trade protection, which would leave McCrimmon with the upper hand. The reason is pretty straightforward: Karlsson is 33, he has dealt with injuries in recent years, and his production doesn’t match Stone’s on a points-per-game basis.
Karlsson put up 0.50 points per game last season. Injuries kept him out for much of the year, so there’s context there, but it still affects where his next contract lands.
A two-year deal at $4.25 million AAV feels like the right number here. His scoring has dipped because of age and health, but he still brings value in the areas Vegas leans on: faceoffs, shutdown work against top players, and special teams.
That kind of all-around usefulness should keep him in the Golden Knights’ plans, especially when the playoffs arrive. And if he can stay healthy and bump up his numbers, the contract would look even better.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Just Secured Their Captain For Another Cup Push
The Golden Knights have taken another important step in keeping their core intact, agreeing to a two-year extension with captain Mark Stone. Coming off a season in which he was one of the teams most reliable producers and a central figure in Vegas push to the Stanley Cup Final, Stones new deal gives the organization some needed stability as it continues to build around a familiar leadership group.
Stones value goes well beyond the box score, but his production still underscored how important he remains to the lineup. After a career season last year, the captain has become one of the clearest anchors on a roster that has also seen recent movement with Braeden Bowmans new contract, and the next question is how Vegas continues shaping the rest of its Cup-caliber core around him. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Just Sent A Clear Message With Mark Stone
Mark Stones long run with Vegas is set to continue after the Golden Knights locked up their captain on a two-year extension, keeping one of the franchises defining early acquisitions in place for the stretch ahead. Since arriving from Ottawa, Stone has spent parts of seven seasons in the organization and has remained a fixture at the top of the lineup, even while injuries have periodically interrupted his availability.
For a team built around stability and star power, the move sends a clear message about how the Golden Knights view their core. Stone still brings the kind of two-way value Vegas has long leaned on, and the new agreement gives the club more certainty around a veteran leader whose fit has never really been in doubt, even as his future has sometimes felt worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Face Huge Pressure As This Core Tries One More Run
The Golden Knights are heading into the 2026-27 season with the sort of pressure that comes only when a franchise believes it is still built to win now. Expectations around Vegas are back in familiar territory, with a Stanley Cup appearance the standard rather than the dream, and the core of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone carrying most of the burden. The roster also has an older feel to it, which only raises the stakes for a group trying to squeeze one more deep run out of a window that has already produced one championship.
There is still enough uncertainty around the edges to make this a delicate season in advance, even before the games start. A first-time head coach will be stepping into one of the leagues most scrutinized jobs, and the roster could still be reshaped before opening night. For Vegas, the challenge is less about chasing a playoff berth and more about proving this version of the team can still live up to the standard it set for itself from the beginning. [Read more 🡒]