On the surface, the Vegas Golden Knights might've had good goaltending statistically. They were 12th in team GAA at 2.95, after all. But here's where things get murky in net. The Golden Knights were 28th in team save percentage at .884, one of the worst marks in the NHL.
On top of that, they didn't have a single goaltender post a save percentage above .900. The closest person to that mark was Akira Schmid, who... was traded in the offseason to the Florida Panthers. Mind you, he was a restricted free agent who had arbitration rights. Imagine Golden Knights fans whenever they saw their goaltender step onto the ice.
Of course, there's also Carl Lindbom, who's hanging around with the Golden Knights. But he doesn't have much experience at the NHL level. That explains why he had a GAA of 3.00 and a save percentage of .873, which isn't going to wow many people.
That leaves us with Carter Hart and Adin Hill. While Hart had a respectable playoff run up to the Stanley Cup Final, Hill fell apart like a wet paper towel. But for Hart, even that Stanley Cup Final had defensive giveaways that plagued him (think of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin).
So, how does the group get back to prominence? Will it take outside forces to change the group's look during the season? Believe it or not, there are some similarities between the Carter Hart article and what will work for the netminders.
How the Vegas Golden Knights can have a respectable goaltending group for 2026-27
As mentioned, the most important thing for the Golden Knights netminding this season will be the defensive structure. The Golden Knights must get back to the shot-blocking fundamentals and taking away shooting lanes. If they can do this, they'll be golden for the 2026-27 season.
But it goes beyond that. It also goes back to health, where the Golden Knights were devastated once again. Obviously, you have your stereotypical Adin Hill lower-body injuries that plagued the netminder. The poor guy can't seem to keep his grapes intact. However, he wasn't the only injured netminder.
Carter Hart himself also dealt with lower-body injuries during the regular season. That included a lower-body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which hampered the Golden Knights' goaltending room. If Hart can stay upright alongside Hill, life will become much easier for Vegas.
In fact, life will become even easier if Hill himself can avoid lower-body injuries. Part of why the fanbase turned on Hill so quickly was because of his massive health history. It has hampered his ability to move about in the crease, making him slower in movement and reaction time.
The Golden Knights' goaltending room has become one of the concerns that some fans have heading into the 2026-27 season. The group can potentially turn things around with some help—and a dash of luck—for the new year. Of course, it'll help if the group can pull some weight of their own this year.
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