Remember when Carter Hart started skating again for the Vegas Golden Knights last week? It signaled another player returning to the fold, bolstering the team's overall depth. Well, Bruce Cassidy can vouch that this is true, given that he's recovering well from his lower-body injury sustained on January 8 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Carter Hart is skating and is getting close, Cassidy said. Doesn’t expect him to travel because there’s not a lot of practice time coming up.
— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) March 19, 2026
Sure, Hart doesn't have the most attractive stats known to man this season. He has a GAA of 3.28 and a save percentage of .871. However, some things have changed, starting with the defensive structure.
In comes Nic Dowd and Cole Smith, adding more physical bite to the Golden Knights. Suddenly, lanes are being taken away and Vegas looks more formidable. It's benefitted netminders such as Adin Hill, giving them more oomph in net.
If that defensive strength adds more to a goaltender like Hill, imagine what it can do for a netminder like Hart. It'll add more comfort to the net, making the Golden Knights' netminding more potent. That's especially true when you enter playoff time, where you need more players to take away that space.
For Vegas, they needed that more than ever. They needed a back-end restructuring that stemmed around taking that space away. Now, Kelly McCrimmon looks like a genius for making stay-at-home moves that improved the overall structure.
This might not seem like much for Golden Knights fans. After all, they've waited so long for the home run trade that would've bolstered the goaltending presence for Vegas. However, it's the returning players that make the team better, too. That includes Hart, who will add more depth to the Golden Knights.
Therefore, sit back and take a deep breath, Golden Knights fans. Things might be crazy right now. However, returning players, combined with a bolstered defensive structure, should ease Hart's return without too much of a hiccup.