Golden Knights sign center William Karlsson to 8-year contract

The Golden Knights signed center William Karlsson to an eight-year, $47.2 million contract Monday, locking up the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer through 2027.

The deal was first reported Sunday.

we're excited 😁

you're excited 😄@WKarlsson71 is excited 🤠 pic.twitter.com/bLt5dawMm8

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 25, 2019

Karlsson was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He could have become an unrestricted free agent in 2020 but opted for long-term security with the Knights.

The 26-year-old from Sweden had a breakout season in 2017-18 after being acquired in the expansion draft from Columbus, finishing third in the league with 43 goals. He won the Lady Byng Trophy, presented to the most gentlemanly player, and was sixth in the voting for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward.

This past season, Karlsson was second on the Knights with 24 goals and 56 points, and his team-friendly $5.9 million cap hit makes him the fourth-highest paid forward on the club by average annual value.

Karlsson’s 67 goals over the past two seasons rank 17th in the league overall (ninth among centers). He is the only player to appear in every regular-season and postseason game in franchise history (191 games).

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Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.