The Henderson Silver Knights are like a bad car wreck. You see it on the road and can't help but be mesmerized by how horrific it is. An abysmal record of 9-24-2 with 20 points certainly lends credence to this statement. What's more, the Vegas Golden Knights haven't dealt with many injuries this season. Therefore, there haven't been many call-ups to the main roster.
Each passing day pushes the Silver Knights closer to being eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs. It's like putting off that big task in your life. You don't want to admit that you need to do it. However, it's tugging at your conscience and eating at your soul.
In fact, it's possible the Silver Knights aren't even thinking about the playoffs. They're considering who should be on the 2025-26 season roster. Having 20 points in 37 games will do that to you, especially when you lag behind your peers.
Luckily, there's one player who can change the team's fortunes and give them hope for next season. This player is already leading the Tahoe Knight Monsters in scoring, specifically in the points department. He could even lead the Silver Knights on a historic playoff run and get them to the Calder Cup playoffs (okay, not really. But it'd be fun to see).
Sloan Stanick could make the Henderson Silver Knights great again
That's right. Sloan Stanick could be what the doctor ordered for the Henderson Silver Knights. The Knight Monsters forward has 16 goals and 22 assists in 36 games with the ECHL club this season. He did spend two games with the Silver Knights this season, failing to register a point.
So who is Stanick? The 21-year-old forward hails from Rapid City, Manitoba, and was undrafted. He stands at 6'0" and weighs 185 lbs., carrying a left-handed shot. He made his living in the amateur scene with the Yellowhead Chiefs of the AAA leagues, scoring 84 goals and 49 assists between 2017 and 2019.
But his most noteworthy seasons came between 2022 and 2024. In two seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders (during this period), he scored 61 goals and 87 assists. Such skills drew a keen eye from the Vegas Golden Knights organization, where he made waves with the team at the 2024 Rookie Faceoff.
Why not take a risk?
At this point, the Henderson Silver Knights have nothing to lose. They're last in the Pacific Division (and the AHL itself) and are looking ahead to next season. The hopes of making the Calder Cup are as slim as the San Jose Sharks winning the Stanley Cup and a fan in San Francisco named Josh presenting a reasonable take about the Vegas Golden Knights.
So why not kick the tires here? They can test the waters and see what the Tahoe Knight Monsters star can do on the ice. They can see if he's ready to handle the faster pace of the AHL, getting him prepared for the upcoming season. It can also test him as a prospect, furthering his development as a hockey player.
Whatever the case, the Silver Knights have nothing to lose from calling up Sloan Stanick to the main roster. They can shock the world and somehow make the playoffs (although it's highly unlikely at this point), all from a simple call-up. Hey, crazier things have happened in today's world.