It was a debate that raged on for over a year. After Logan Thompson was traded to the Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights fans were left with a classic debate: would this be one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the franchise?
Thompson was a rising goaltender who made his presence known during a playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Here, he posted a GAA of 2.35 and a save percentage of .921 in three games. While he couldn't bail out an anemic offense, that didn't stop Bruce Cassidy from choosing Adin Hill as his long-term netminder.
"We went with Hilly as our No. 1 guy. But I think they’re both No. 1 guys now."Cassidy to The Hockey News
In fact, this decision was apparent during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hill was chosen over Thompson to represent Team Canada, where the team ultimately won the tournament. Lo and behold, Hill gets a nice six-year contract extension with the Golden Knights shortly after, while Thompson also got a six-year extension (this one was with Washington).
Are you ready to have your veins in your head explode again, Golden Knights fans? That debate will come up once again, with both netminders being presented at the forefront of this controversial topic. Let's look at both netminders and see where their pathways have led them this season.
Looking at Logan Thompson and Adin Hill's pathways since the Golden Knights-Capitals trade
When we last left our intrepid hero, he was signing autographs after being traded to the Capitals. With the Golden Knights moving on from Thompson by signing Ilya Samsonov afterwards, there was no direction to go but up. Ironically, that's the direction he would take in his NFL career.
Since that span, he's done incredibly well for the Capitals. The Canadian Olympian has a GAA of 2.45, a save percentage of .912, and four shutouts in two seasons with Washington. But what about his former teammate? How has Hill done in that span?
Goalie | GAA | Save Percentage | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|
Logan Thompson | 2.45 | .912 | 4 |
Adin Hill | 2.62 | .899 | 4 |
On the surface, it appears that Hill has been the worst goaltender. Looking at the GAA and the save percentage, you see that Cassidy and company didn't make the right decision. However, the problems go deeper than that.
Hill has suffered a couple of lower-body setbacks this season, keeping him out of commission. That has attributed to his downward play, where he's looked rusty and slower. While Thompson has suffered upper-body injuries this season, those have been on a day-to-day basis.
The Logan Thompson-Adin Hill debate will add more fuel to Friday's fire
If you're heading to Friday's game in Washington, D.C., you're likely to hear this debate again. Even if Thompson doesn't start for the Capitals on Friday, the conversation will revolve around what could've been if the Golden Knights had chosen differently.
After all, the biggest problem with Vegas has been chasing the ghost of Marc-Andre Fleury. Since the Vezina Trophy winner was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Golden Knights have tried everything in net. That included Robin Lehner, Thompson, and Hill.
Heck, they even signed Carter Hart to provide some stability, only for the move to blow up in their face. Imagine what would've happened if the netminder didn't go on IR with a lower-body injury (boy, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?).
Also, imagine if Hart didn't fall off a cliff. Those parallel universe scenarios will come into play again on Friday, when Vegas visits the nation's capital. They better not be imagining, especially after a surprising win on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.