Adin Hill went from a banner season to the kind of follow-up that can turn a fan base fast.
In 2024-25, the Vegas Golden Knights goalie put together a 2.47 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and four shutouts, then capped it with a six-year contract extension. But the next year was a rough one. Hill finished with a 3.04 GAA and a .871 save percentage, and lower-body injuries kept forcing him out of the lineup in favor of Carter Hart.
That drop-off hit hard inside the Golden Knights’ world. Hill, once celebrated as a Stanley Cup hero, quickly became one of the most disliked players around, to the point that the hate nearly pushed him out in a classic Kelly McCrimmon trade. Instead, McCrimmon is giving him one more shot, which only raises the pressure on what comes next.
So why did the turn happen so fast beyond the numbers?
Part of it is the way Hill’s starts have gone. He can open a game looking sharp, stopping his first six shots, and then one soft goal changes everything.
From there, the slide can snowball. Fans have seen him give up the first goal, then another, then another, until the Golden Knights are suddenly staring at a 3-0 hole.
That pattern showed up again and again during the 2025-26 season. Hill allowed four or more goals eight times, and the injuries only made the frustration worse. For a goalie on a six-year deal, that kind of production is hard for a fan base to swallow.
His last game under Bruce Cassidy as Golden Knights head coach offered a clean example. Cassidy took heat for the way the team tuned him out, but Hill allowed three straight goals and Vegas still ended up losing in the shootout.
That’s how Hill wound up as the team’s boogeyman over the past year: the contract, the injuries, the uneven play and the repeated blowups in net. Now he gets another chance to change the story.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Favorite Ryan Reaves May Be Entering A Surprising New Chapter
Ryan Reaves, a familiar name to Golden Knights fans from his time in Vegas, may be lining up a post-playing path that would keep him close to the game. The 39-year-old forward, who spent last season with the San Jose Sharks, is reportedly exploring a career in broadcasting after a 16-year NHL run that has taken him through plenty of different stops.
According to ESPNs Greg Wyshynski, Reaves attended a broadcast camp as he looks into that next chapter. For a player who has built a long career on the ice and remains an unrestricted free agent, the move hints at a transition that could come sooner rather than later, even if the next step is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Prospect Reality Is Starting To Look Uncomfortably Thin
The latest prospect rankings offered a familiar snapshot of where the Golden Knights stand in the pipeline conversation: not especially deep, and still leaning on a very small handful of names. Trevor Connelly, the 19th overall pick in 2024, was the lone Vegas skater to crack The Athletics Top 100 drafted prospects list at No. 45 after spending the season with the Henderson Silver Knights, while Carl Lindbom earned a spot among the outlets Top 20 drafted goalies after a strong AHL season.
Lindboms rise is encouraging for a team that has often had to build through the present more than the future, especially after he also got into eight NHL games. But the broader picture is harder to ignore: Vegas had only those two prospects represented in the rankings, which is a reminder of how much of the organizations draft capital has already been moved elsewhere. For a club that has spent years chasing contention, the next wave still looks awfully narrow. [Read more 🡒]