William Karlsson expects contract talks with Golden Knights to begin soon

LAS VEGAS -- William Karlsson, a pending restricted free agent, said Tuesday he has not started negotiations on a new contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

"I just know that I want to stay here and hopefully they want the same thing," the 25-year-old center said. "I like it here in Vegas. I like the organization and the city around it. This is where I want to be and we will see what happens."
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Karlsson led the Golden Knights with 78 points (43 goals, 35 assists) in 82 regular-season games playing on a line with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. Karlsson had 18 goals and 45 points in his first 183 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
In the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Karlsson had 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 20 games. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.

Karlsson said he believes negotiations with the Golden Knights will begin soon. He can sign a qualifying offer if one is made by Vegas, or sign an offer sheet with another NHL team starting July 1, or enter arbitration with Vegas later in the offseason. He played the final season of a two-year, $2 million contract he signed with the Blue Jackets on June 23, 2016.
"I leave all that for my agent," he said. "Nothing really that is interesting to me. Right now, I want to relax and not think about hockey at all. When we start to talk, we'll start to talk and I'll listen to what my agent says."
Karlsson is a finalist for the Lady Byng Award at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN). Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov and Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly of the Buffalo Sabres are the other finalists for the award given to the NHL player voted to best combine gentlemanly conduct, sportsmanship and ability.