Jesse Granger of The Athletic posted an interesting article on Friday morning regarding Adin Hill. The reporter talked about the former Stanley Cup hero waiting in the wings, should Carter Hart falter during the Stanley Cup Final. Well, that moment is here as the starting goaltender has fallen hard.
Hart is the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to allow four or more goals in the first five games. He has a GAA of 3.70, a save percentage of .856, and a GSAx of -5.26. Suddenly, the Carolina Hurricanes have figured him out, attacking his ears and using quick passes and strikes to keep him off-balance.
Certainly, something has to change, right? Hill does have the Stanley Cup-winning pedigree that Hart doesn't, as pointed out by Granger. He's also been known to steal a crucial game or two, which helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023.
However, there's one small problem with this: Tortorella doesn't want to do a goalie swap. I mean, you can see where his point's coming from, considering that Hill hasn't been the best goaltender this season (GAA of 3.04 and a save percentage of .871). But there are plenty of reasons to consider the opposite, Mr. Tortorella.
Why John Tortorella should strongly consider starting Adin Hill over Carter Hart for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Final
Granger talked about how Hill stepped in for Laurent Brossoit during the 2023 Second-Round series against the Edmonton Oilers, where Brossoit got hurt. Hill did just fine despite the long lay-off, posting a GAA of 2.17 and a save percentage of .932.
Believe it or not, that wasn't the only time Hill jumped in for a goaltender. A season later, the Stanley Cup-winning netminder stepped in for Logan Thompson and posted a GAA of 1.70 and a save percentage of .931 in three games. That alone should inspire confidence in Tortorella to give Hill a try in net.
Yes, there was the abberation from last season when Hill struggled (GAA of 2.93 and a save percentage of .887). However, he was the starting goaltender throughout the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, which were a different set of circumstances. Now? Hill can step in for Hart, who looks gassed on the ice.
Playing Devil's Advocate for Hill
Look, I know that Hill has taken a beating during the 2025-26 season. He has been terrible in numerous spots, whether it's allowing consecutive goals in six or more minutes or getting hurt. But the stats don't lie: Hill does have the playoff pedigree to win the Stanley Cup.
After all, he did do it once, as Granger points out. The Golden Knights have their backs pinned against the wall against a good Carolina Hurricanes team and need a high-risk move that's also high-reward. Why not go with someone who does better in the relief role than by being the full-blown starter?
It worked for Rod Brind'Amour and the Hurricanes in Game 3, as they saw Brandon Bussi keep Carolina afloat afterwards. Sometimes, the biggest players come with a career save percentage of .917 and a career GAA of 2.41.
Again, crazier things have happened and you only live once. You're in Vegas and you should go all-in like you're playing poker.
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