Karlsson emerges as No. 1 center for Golden Knights

When the expansion Vegas Golden Knights were contemplating possible line combinations for the upcoming season, William Karlsson was considered a wing on the second or third line.
Their top line, the Golden Knights figured, would consist of center Vadim Shipachyov, from the Kontinental Hockey League, and wings Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, who were teammates with the Florida Panthers last season.

But Karlsson's emergence as the Golden Knights No. 1 center and one of their top scoring threats is proof that the best-laid plans in the NHL are just that.
It was at a practice on Oct. 22, seven games into the season, when coach Gerard Gallant moved Karlsson to center between Smith and Marchessault. The results have been outstanding.
Not only has Karlsson shown he is capable of playing top-six minutes, he is tied with Marchessault for the Golden Knights scoring lead; Karlsson has 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 26 games, and Marchessault has 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games.
The best illustration of the surprising nature of Karlsson's emergence is that he is four goals from equaling his NHL career total before arriving in Vegas. In a combined 183 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks, Karlsson scored 18 goals.
When Vegas selected Karlsson in the NHL Expansion Draft in June, it represented a fresh start for the 24-year-old from Marsta, Sweden, the same way it did for veterans, mid-career types and rookies on the Golden Knights roster.
After averaging 13:55 of ice time per game in two seasons with the Blue Jackets, all he needed was an opportunity.

He hadn't forgotten that he was capable of providing offense, evidenced by his 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 55 games with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14.
"I was an offensive guy in Sweden," Karlsson said. "I kind of knew I always had it in me. I knew I had a chance here and I really wanted to take it.
"So far, it's been good. You get to play with great players on my line, Marchessault and Smith. They help me out a lot. It's just up to me to keep it up."
Ducks forward Rickard Rakell said, "He's a very underrated player. The expansion draft was probably a good thing for him because he didn't see that much ice time in Columbus."
He fit right in with the rest of the Golden Knights.
"Every guy in this room has something to prove," forward James Neal said.
Neal admitted that he knew almost nothing about Karlsson until they gathered for training camp in September.
"Man, he's a good player," Neal said. "He puts the work in and is a horse out there, really strong, really smart and makes the right play almost every time he has the puck."

He is a big reason the Golden Knights (16-9-1) are second in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Los Angeles Kings. They are 10-2-0 at home and host one of Karlsson's former teams, the Ducks, at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; ATTSN-RM, PRIME, NHL.TV).
Karlsson made his NHL debut with the Ducks, playing 18 games with Anaheim in 2014-15.
"We certainly liked lots of things about his game, but just weren't sure where the ceiling was," Vegas general manager George McPhee said. "Like a lot of players, he's played very well with the opportunity."
Karlsson is making a statement on the ice this season, but off it, he's quite quiet.
So quiet, he earned the nickname "Wild Bill" in Anaheim as a joke.
"That's hockey players for you," McPhee said. "They come up with great nicknames. They named him well."
Karlsson is also known for his flowing hair, which has practically become his signature, one he's not willing to tamper with.
"I try to keep it proper," he said. "I always brush my hair in the morning. Try to look decent when I come to practices and stuff like that. I haven't been told to cut my hair ever since (Ducks assistant coach Trent) Yawney told me.
"I got a very little trim. He (Yawney) was like, 'I can't see the difference.' We had a good laugh about that."

He got the minor haircut and nickname during his time with the Ducks before receiving a valuable education while playing for John Tortorella in Columbus. Tortorella was hired seven months after Karlsson arrived in a trade from the Ducks on March 2, 2015 for defenseman James Wisniewski.
"You heard stories about him, scary stories," Karlsson said, laughing. "But it wasn't that bad. He was a good coach, always keeps you on your toes. He's fair too. He can tell anyone, no matter who you are at the time, if you (stink) you (stink).
"He says you're good when you're good. He was really fair. Tough, but fair."
The Blue Jackets didn't want to lose Karlsson but were mindful of keeping their core intact and exposed him in the expansion draft.
"George went in the direction of smart, good skating centers," NHL Network and TSN analyst Craig Button said. "He went about his selection of centers with this focus. That's what William is. He can play any situation and has a strong understanding of how to play those situations."
"We obviously didn't have him in the right place when we had him on the wing," McPhee said. "Gerard has done a nice job moving him to the middle and he couldn't have responded better.
"We're all still evaluating and trying to learn what these players can do. You don't get to know them as well as you like to when you see them with other teams. Until you get to work with them yourself, you learn a lot more about the player. It looks like he could be a top-six player in this league for a long time."