William Karlsson (71) moves the puck around Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker (26) during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)The Vegas Golden Knights suffered a major setback in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night when forward William Karlsson left the game in the second period after sustaining a major upper-body injury and did not return. However, reports are indicating that the promising forward of the team is not likely to return for the Stanley Cup final.With Karlsson knocked out, this allowed the Golden Knights to take four penalties that turned into two power-play goals against the Hurricanes. Regarding the player’s status, it was confirmed by the coach of the team, John Tortorella, “He’s not going to be with us probably,” He stated this after a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, which put Vegas behind 3-2 in the best-of-7 series. “We’ve got to find a way to fill that void. Not just with one guy, but as a team,” the coach added.In this season, including this Game 5, Karlsson has nine points (three goals, six assists) and a plus-10 rating while averaging 17:12 of ice time in 15 postseason games. He was a part of the line with Mitch Marner and Brett Howden.Coach John Tortorella confirms that William Karlsson might not be in the Stanley Cup finals Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has given a health update on William Karlsson, saying he might not join the Stanley Cup Finals after sustaining an injury during Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. According to reports, Karlsson injured his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period. Though he got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off, and never returned, Tortorella foreshadowed that it would be the end of Karlsson's series. Tortorella further added, “He’s an important piece to us,” Tortorella said. “Up the middle of the ice, penalty kill, power-play guy. He’s a winner.”Also, defenseman Brayden McNabb said, “He’s an awesome player, a big leader in the room. He’s a Day 1 guy. Been around a long time; he’s a 200-foot player. You definitely miss him when he’s not in there. So hopefully he can play, but if not, we’ll be ready.”Karlsson's departure came at a critical moment for Vegas, when they were trailing. The Hurricanes eventually secured a 4-2 victory to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final, moving within one win of capturing the championship. It is to be noted that Karlsson has 453 points (183 goals, 270 assists) in 752 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Golden Knights. He also has 83 points (36 goals, 47 assists) in 126 postseason games, including 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 22 games in 2023, when he helped Vegas win the Stanley Cup.