Adin Hill was the 76th pick by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft. He accumulated a 19-21-4 record in Arizona with a .909 save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average. He served admirably behind starter Darcy Kuemper until the Seattle Kraken joined the NHL in 2021.
The Coyotes traded Hill because they could not protect the young goalie and starter Darcy Kuemper from the Kraken. It became a numbers game. Of course, the veteran Kuemper won the spot on the roster, and Hill was sent packing to San Jose (yes, he knew the way to San Jose).
The Coyotes sent Hill and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Sharks in exchange for a 23-year-old goalie and a 2022 second-rounder.
Hill was then headed to Vegas
He was expendable, and the Sharks had no more room for a third goalie. James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen were filling the net, blocking him from the starting job. In the trade, the Sharks received a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The timing could have been better for Hill to get an opportunity to prove himself. The Golden Knights needed help in goal with Robin Lehner out the entire season due to hip surgery. With backup Laurent Brossoit's status unknown as well since he was recovering from hip surgery during the offseason, the Vegas club needed Hill to come to the rescue.
During the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup-winning season in 2023, Hill willed his team to victory. He tallied a 12-6-0 record in the postseason. His 2.09 SV% kept Vegas in the hunt. Better yet, his 2.09 GAA was even more dominating. The Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers in five games to win the cherished Cup. After the win, Hill commented, "I try to keep my cool, but it's hard right now. It's pretty surreal," he said.
Hill is trying to get back to his winning form
This season, Hill is doing adequately in net with an 8-4-1 record. His 3.07 GAA and .888 SV% are nowhere near where he wants them to be. But of course, the Golden Knights are currently in first place in the Pacific Division with 24 points.
The main reason for that is their terrific offense. They are fourth in the NHL in goals scored per game at 3.79. When a goalie has a team in front of him that can turn on the red light, it takes the pressure off his expected performance.
Another factor is that captain Mark Stone has missed five games due to a lower-body injury. Despite his absence, the Vegas club has still won two of its last five games.
Hill will become an unrestricted free agent after this season
When a player's contract expires, he wants to excel as much as possible to retain his job and get a new, higher contract. Hill is in the second year of his two-year contract, which pays him $4.9 million. In order to accomplish his goal, he must protect his goal.
He can do that and proves it every time he steps onto the ice.
One has to wonder how Hill would have done had he stayed in Arizona. He has progressed and honed his skills between the pipes. The lean, 6'-6", 215-pound native of Comox, British Columbia has come a long way and won't stop until he's raising Lord Stanley's Cup again.
Could it be this year? Perhaps.