The Golden Knights got what they needed from their young players on Saturday, and they got a decent look at Adin Hill, too.
Hill handled 19 shots and stopped 17 of them in Vegas’ 4-2 preseason win over the Kings. It wasn’t a night that screamed headlines, but it was a serviceable outing for a team that badly needs steadier work in goal after last season’s mess. Vegas finished the year with a team save percentage of .884, which ranked 28th in the NHL.
Still, the biggest takeaway from Ontario came from the prospects who helped swing the game.
Viliam Kmec opened the scoring for Vegas in the first period and later set up Jackson Hallum’s go-ahead goal in the third. Hallum then finished the job himself with the empty-netter that put the game away and sealed the 4-2 result.
Hallum’s best moment came when he used his speed to race down the ice for the go-ahead goal. He may not be in line to crack the 23-man roster, but he gave the organization something to think about with the way he played. If he keeps stacking up growth and reps, he could force more people to notice him than expected.
Kmec made his own case as well. The defenseman’s goal and assist gave him a strong showing, and while he also doesn’t appear to have a real path to the opening roster, he can keep building with the Silver Knights. He posted four goals and 12 assists in 65 games during his 2025-26 campaign.
Trevor Connelly’s night was quieter. The former first-round pick finished without a point and put only three shots on goal, a start that didn’t do much to move the needle for a team still searching for scoring help on the wings.
In Other News...
Mark Stone News Just Changed Vegas Camp's Biggest Roster Questions
Mark Stones future stopped being part of the conversation in Las Vegas when he signed a two-year contract extension that keeps him with the Golden Knights and comes with a full no-move clause. For a team opening training camp with 66 players in the mix for 23 roster spots, that kind of certainty matters, especially when the early days of camp are all about sorting through depth, roles and who fits where.
The bigger question now shifts to the rest of the roster battles, where every practice and exhibition look carries extra weight. Prospect Juho Piiparinen also got a special invitation to camp as he continues his development, a reminder that Vegas is still balancing present-day decisions with longer-term planning while the competition for places begins in earnest. [Read more 🡒]