Do you ever have that feeling of accomplishment in life? Like when you've worked hard enough to earn a promotion at work? While Adin Hill isn't becoming the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights soon, he did experience a similar feeling on Monday morning.
The netminder earned the "Third Star of the Week" weekly honor presented by Geico. The 28-year-old went 2-0-0 last week, allowing two goals and yielding a save percentage of .971. Hill led the Golden Knights to impressive victories over the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, two teams in playoff spots in the Western Conference.
Hill isn't the first Golden Knights star to receive "Star of the Week" weekly honors. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone have also received such honors, catapulting the Golden Knights to a first-place standing in the Pacific Division. The trio has also kept the franchise in the thick of the NHL's top spot, with one point separating them from the most points entering Monday.
You know you're doing something right when you have another "Star of the Week" for a team member. That member has kept the team afloat while the injuries piled up, keeping them atop their perch in the process. Without Hill, the team would've lagged behind, with division rivals like the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks overtaking them.
Who should be next in line for the "Star of the Week" for the Vegas Golden Knights?
Obviously, I wouldn't be surprised if Jack Eichel received the honor again. He's having an excellent season, scoring 39 points (fourth in the NHL entering Monday), and will continue to do so if healthy. Mark Stone falls under the same category, specifically after returning to the team.
If you're looking for someone who hasn't won yet, look no further than Pavel Dorofeyev. The Russian winger is in a breakout campaign, scoring 12 goals in 2024-25. Five of those have come on the power play, making him one of the most reliable players for the league's fifth-best unit (27.1%).
Another Russian star to consider is Ivan Barbashev. The winger is the lone member of the top line who hasn't received such an honor yet. He leads the team in goals (13) and has 28 points. In November alone, he scored five goals and 10 assists, making him one of the team's key contributors.
Finally, if you want a dark-horse pick, why not Brett Howden? Scoring 10 goals when nobody expected is a good way to receive such honors. That's how the 26-year-old earned a five-year contract extension, keeping him as a good lower-line piece. That's especially true when you have a shooting percentage of 21.7%. Such stats will lead to a breakout campaign, earning weekly honors from the NHL.
The good thing about such speculation is it's fueled by a player's performance. Adin Hill made this happen, defeating a tough Oilers team and the Dallas Stars. Without that performance, the dialogue of beating good teams festers like the odor of someone who hasn't bathed in a week. Luckily, that's not the type of bad news the Golden Knights have to deal with.