The Golden Knights have completed the necessary paperwork by giving a qualifying offer to their restricted free agent center, William Karlsson, on Monday.
This offer raises the question of whether the team will be able to secure a long-term deal with their top scorer.
Qualifying offers typically consist of one-year contracts, with the Knights required to offer Karlsson at least 105% of his previous $1 million salary, totaling $1.05 million.
Michael Deutsch, Karlsson’s agent, chose not to disclose the specifics of the contract offered by the Knights. The team’s policy prohibits the release of information about players who receive qualifying offers.
Teams were obligated to extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents by Monday’s deadline.
By issuing a contract to Karlsson, the team now holds the right to negotiate with him. If successful, Karlsson would become an unrestricted free agent.
Reports suggest that Karlsson is unlikely to accept the qualifying offer and is instead expecting a long-term contract proposal from the team. Otherwise, he may opt to file for arbitration by the July 5 deadline.
Although players often file for arbitration, agreements are usually reached before both parties (player and team) present their cases. In 2017, approximately 30 players filed for arbitration, but only Nate Schmidt, a defenseman for the Knights, proceeded to a hearing.
Karlsson also has the choice to decline arbitration and continue negotiations. During the NHL Awards Show, Karlsson hinted that he desires to remain in Las Vegas and is working towards securing a favorable position following his exceptional performance last season.
