The Henderson Silver Knights are heading into 2026-27 with a very different kind of pressure.
Last season, they were supposed to sit near the bottom of the Pacific Division again. Instead, Ryan Craig’s group finished third in the division and pushed all the way to the second round, a run that nobody really saw coming. For a team that was not expected to be in the mix, it was a loud statement.
That surprise season also fit into the bigger rise of hockey in Nevada. The Vegas Golden Knights have become an NHL force, boosted by major additions like Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel.
UNLV men’s hockey and the Tahoe Knight Monsters have helped turn the state into one of the fastest-growing hockey spots in the country. The Silver Knights added their own chapter to that story.
A big part of that success came from key contributors such as Carl Lindbom and Braeden Bowman. Their play gave Craig enough stability to navigate the season and stack up important wins.
Now the bar has moved.
For 2026-27, a successful season for Henderson means more than just being better than expected. The standard is higher now, and the target is clear: make the Calder Cup Final. That is the next step after last year’s breakthrough.
But there’s a catch that comes with being an AHL team. Prospects move up when they’re ready, and that can change the roster fast.
Bowman is one example, after his short stint with the Golden Knights produced eight goals and 18 assists last season. Henderson could lose more talent to the NHL club, which means the depth chart has to hold up.
That challenge is now Joel Ward’s to manage. The new head coach will likely have to deal with players getting called up during the regular season, so the Silver Knights will need depth pieces to step in and keep the team on track. Tanner Laczynski returning helps soften that blow.
Goaltending could also be a strength. There’s a chance Lindbom gets more AHL time this season, which would give Henderson another important piece to work with.
The expectations are different now, and so is the conversation around the Silver Knights. After last season’s run, the hope is no longer just to surprise people. It’s to take another leap and reach the Calder Cup Final in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Look Smarter As Another Cap Trap Closes In
Anaheims decision to match Philadelphias five-year, $18 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson only sharpened the contrast around the leagues cap-strapped teams, especially for clubs trying to keep a young core intact without painting themselves into a corner. The Ducks now have to sort through the ripple effects of that move, and it serves as another reminder of how quickly a promising roster can become a salary-cap puzzle when the next contract comes due.
For Vegas, the situation reads a little differently. The Golden Knights have already shown a willingness to walk away from a young players price when it gets too rich, and they have been just as firm about moving on from Akira Schmid rather than forcing a fit. Those kinds of decisions can look conservative in the moment, but they also help explain why Vegas has stayed cleaner than some of the teams now staring at a cap trap, with room to keep maneuvering while others are forced into harder choices. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Cannot Risk Losing These Core Pieces Next Summer
The Golden Knights have already shown they are willing to make hard roster decisions, moving on from players with bigger contracts as they keep reshaping the cap picture. That makes the next wave of business just as important, because the team cannot afford to let every useful veteran or emerging piece drift toward the open market at the same time.
Mark Stone still looms as the most complicated case, with William Karlsson continuing to matter in ways that go beyond scoring and Nic Dowd fitting the kind of dependable, low-drama role teams hate to replace. Braeden Bowman adds a different wrinkle after a promising first full look, and his production has only sharpened the sense that Vegas may already have part of its next core in house if it handles the summer correctly. [Read more 🡒]