It's not easy being a fringe player like Tanner Laczynski. First, you're called up to the Vegas Golden Knights, replacing the latest injured player. You can't go a game without replacing Ivan Barbashev's production, after all. Then, you get sent down for Jonas Rondbjerg, who gets recalled to the Golden Knights.
But Thursday saw Laczynski get the call from the Henderson Silver Knights, coming up to the main roster again. The 27-year-old got called up after news of Barbashev hitting injured reserve broke Thursday morning. The former Philadelphia Flyers prospect even got the red carpet treatment from the Golden Knights' social media team.
⚔️ Tanner Laczynski has been recalled from @HSKnights!#VegasBorn | #ForgeTheKnight pic.twitter.com/aFeTto7z6F
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 2, 2025
Although he wasn't on any lines during the Golden Knights's morning skate on Thursday, the move does give Vegas forward depth. He was on the ice, though, getting his skating in before Thursday's game against the Flyers. Talk about a wild experience for Tanner, eh (not of the Minnesota variety).
2024-25 has been a quiet season for the forward. Laczynski has made five appearances with the Golden Knights (8:11 average TOI), recording two blocked shots. He also has a -1 rating this season with the NHL club. As for the Silver Knights? He has six goals and 14 assists in 18 games with the AHL club. He's projected to score 20 goals and 47 assists with the Silver Knights this season.
What does that mean for Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy?
With Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy both on injured reserve, the Vegas Golden Knights get to grant players like Jonas Rondbjerg and Tanner Laczynski more ice time. The two forwards can show their worth to the Golden Knights before being sent down. That's especially true against a lighter opponent like the Philadelphia Flyers.
However, it also reinforces the idea that "day-to-day" designations are being dragged out further. It happened with Mark Stone, who was injured on November 6 (lower-body) against the Edmonton Oilers. Originally, the Captain had a designation of "day-to-day" that dragged out for exactly one month. In fact, he didn't return until December 6 against the Dallas Stars due to setbacks suffered during his rehabilitation.
Still, the good news is the Golden Knights don't have a heavy schedule for the next 10 days. In fact, their next game against a team in playoff position is on January 12 against the Minnesota Wild. Therefore, letting Roy and Barbashev heal up will benefit both players when the schedule picks up.
As for the Henderson Silver Knights? Well, they've seen better days. They're sitting at the bottom of the AHL barrel with 16 points. Sure, they're one point ahead of the Manitoba Moose. However, there isn't much for the Golden Knights to pick from. Still, Laczynski has the chance to win a game or two for Vegas, giving them forward depth along the way.