Silver Knights Spiraling as Injuries and Call-Ups Derail Promising Start
The Henderson Silver Knights came out of the gate this season like a team with something to prove. They were scoring in bunches, knocking off teams like the Ontario Reign, and looking every bit like a contender in the AHL's Pacific Division. For a moment, it felt like Vegas’ little brother was stepping into its own spotlight - and maybe, just maybe, this was the year Henderson would finally shake the label of developmental afterthought.
But that early-season spark? It’s fizzled.
Now sitting at 44 points and riding a five-game losing streak, the Silver Knights have dropped to 2-5-3-0 over their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Reign - the same team Henderson handled earlier in the year - have surged ahead, winning seven of their last 10 and building a commanding 20-point cushion atop the division.
So what happened?
In short: the big club came calling.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been hit hard by injuries this season, losing key contributors like Adin Hill and William Karlsson for stretches. That’s forced Vegas to reach into Henderson’s ranks for reinforcements - and while that’s part of the AHL’s purpose, it’s taken a toll on the Silver Knights’ cohesion and production.
Braeden Bowman, Kai Uchacz, and Carl Lindbom are among the names who’ve spent significant time with the NHL squad. And when you lose that kind of talent - especially in bulk - it’s tough to maintain any kind of rhythm at the AHL level.
One of those players, in particular, has made a strong case to stay in Vegas for good. After putting up seven goals and five assists in just 12 games for Henderson, he earned his call-up - and he’s made the most of it, tallying seven goals and 13 assists over 41 NHL games.
That kind of production doesn’t just fill a roster spot - it starts to cement one. And for Henderson, that means another key piece likely isn’t coming back anytime soon.
The offensive drop-off has been noticeable. Henderson currently ranks sixth in goals scored among Pacific Division teams with 134 - a number that underscores just how much punch they’ve lost up front. Without Bowman, Uchacz, and others, the Silver Knights have struggled to generate consistent offense, and that’s put added pressure on every other aspect of their game.
To their credit, the defense and goaltending have held up - especially Carl Lindbom. The Swedish netminder has been a bright spot in an otherwise dim stretch, posting a 2.07 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. Those are elite numbers at any level, and Lindbom has done everything you could ask from a young goalie trying to hold the fort.
But even the best goaltending can’t mask a team’s inability to finish. And that’s where Henderson finds itself - leaving goals on the ice, and wins on the table.
What started as a season full of promise has turned into a familiar struggle. The Silver Knights are once again trying to find their footing while the Golden Knights continue to dominate the hockey conversation in Las Vegas. And unless Henderson can find a way to inject some life into its offense - whether through internal development or reinforcements from above - the gap between the two clubs will only grow wider.
The Silver Knights still have time to right the ship. But with the playoff picture slipping further out of reach, the question isn’t just whether they can recover - it’s whether they can build something sustainable that doesn’t crumble every time the NHL club calls.