On Thursday night, the Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Utah Mammoth in their first home preseason game. Fortunately for the fans in The Fortress, they witnessed a miraculous third-period comeback as the VGK rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win 5-4 in overtime. Several talking points emerged, from the team's stars showing up in key moments to younger players making a case for the opening-night roster. However, the biggest topic for Vegas fans on Friday morning should be the questionable play of goalie Adin Hill.
Hill’s play is a significant concern for the Golden Knights
Hill remains the only goalie to lead the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup title, which earned him a contract extension and a longer leash for subpar play. Last year, he played 27 games and posted a 10-9-6 record with career-worst GAA and SV% numbers. Things got so bad for him that he didn’t play another second after his last appearance on April 9, losing his job to Carter Hart, who led the team to the Stanley Cup Final.
Against the Mammoth, Hill looked like he was sliding around the crease, hoping to find himself in position for a save or that the puck would miss the net. After his team built up a 1-0 lead, he gave up two consecutive goals to end the first period. He finished the first period with an .846 SV%, and then gave up a goal in the middle period, turning away just three other shots for a .750 SV%.
Hill had another uneventful third period, giving up the go-ahead goal with just 1:31 remaining, his fourth shot of the period. He finished his second preseason outing with an .810 SV%, a worrisome number for a guy penciled in as a starter or a 1B on a contending team. Last year, in 27 appearances, Hill finished only nine contests with a SV% above .900.
Golden Knights need a reliable backup behind Carter Hart
Last year, the Golden Knights ended up dressing four goalies due to various injuries. Carl Lindblom and Akira Schmid both got into some games while Hill and Hart sorted themselves out. In the offseason, Schmid left, while Lindblom sat on the bench against the Mammoth as Hill’s backup. Of course, he’s going to play with the Silver Knights, but Hill played only 27 games, and career-wise, he’s only played over 30 games twice.
Considering that the Golden Knights are in a “Cup-or-bust” mode heading into the 2026-27 season, they will need the absolute best goaltending they can get. In the playoffs, Hart proved he can carry a team, but he also showed that having a night off here and there would also help. Going into the new campaign, the crease is Hart's to lose, but Hill needs to prove he's reliable enough to earn more starts. He’s signed for five more seasons, and it’s been a rough start to his extension.
Add us as a preferred source on Google