The Vegas Golden Knights got a scare at Tuesday’s morning skate when Carter Hart left with an apparent injury, forcing Adin Hill into the start against the Ottawa Senators.
Hart is listed day-to-day for now, though that could change once he’s been evaluated further. Even before the update, the timing made the situation feel especially uneasy for Vegas, which was getting ready for a tricky matchup with Ottawa.
Hart has posted a 2.76 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage this season. He hasn’t been lights out every night, but he has still delivered enough to help the Golden Knights pick up four wins and sit at 4-3-1. Performances against the Los Angeles Kings and the Seattle Kraken have stood out as examples of what he has brought to the crease.
With Hart out, Hill gets the call - and that alone is enough to make plenty of Vegas fans wince. His injury history is well known, and the soft goals have been part of the conversation too. If Hart can’t go, the Golden Knights will have to lean on a goalie many around the fan base would rather not see.
It also opens the door a crack for Carl Lindbom. The Henderson Silver Knights netminder appeared in eight games with Vegas last season, putting up a 3.00 GAA and a .873 save percentage in his rookie year. The team clearly believes in his upside, and his lateral movement and crease coverage make him a logical option if the Golden Knights need another body in net.
For Vegas, though, the bigger issue is simple: losing Hart stings. He has been the club’s most dependable goaltender since last season and helped carry the team to the Stanley Cup Final. If the injury keeps him out for any length of time, the Golden Knights could be asking a lot more from a crease situation that suddenly looks a lot shakier.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Suddenly Have A Goalie Question They Didn't Expect
A routine morning skate turned into an unexpected moment of concern when Carter Hart left the ice after appearing to tweak something while making a butterfly save during a drill. The Golden Knights did not offer any immediate specifics beyond saying he is being evaluated, but it was enough to create a sudden wrinkle at a position Vegas had not been expecting to revisit this quickly.
Bruce Cassidy has already shifted to Adin Hill for the upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators, giving the Golden Knights at least one clear answer for the moment. What comes next with Hart is still unclear, and for a team that leans heavily on stability in goal, any uncertainty there is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Already Face A Familiar Question After Hot Start
The Golden Knights have put together an 8-4-1 start that has them sitting among the NHLs top five teams, a position that usually comes with a little less anxiety than excitement this early in the season. Even with a recent three-game skid, capped by an overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, there is no real panic around the room, only a reminder that strong starts still have to be protected through the grind of the schedule.
Brayden McNabb said the focus has to stay on the group playing as one unit, which is the same message teams lean on when the wins come early and the questions start to follow. Vegas knows the bigger picture is still in front of it, but after a hot opening, the next stretch will be about proving the pace was a sign of something sustainable rather than just a fast first chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Still Look Dangerous For One Reason Vegas Fans Know Too Well
The Blues have already shown this season why they can still be a nuisance for the Golden Knights, and not just because of one result in the standings. St. Louis has been uneven through its first stretch, with a win over Vegas balanced by a loss to Carolina, and the bigger issue has been finding any real consistency at either end of the ice. Injuries to several key players have only added to the uncertainty, leaving the Blues with plenty to sort out as they try to steady themselves.
At 5-5-1, St. Louis is still close enough to the middle of the pack to make every game feel consequential, but the margin for error is thin if the offense and defense do not tighten up. The next tests, against Montreal and Boston, will say a lot about whether this is a team trending upward or just hanging around on talent and timing. For the Golden Knights, the warning sign is familiar: when the Blues are healthy enough to make life messy, they can still turn a game into a grind. [Read more 🡒]