Adin Hill is back in the conversation for all the wrong reasons, and Golden Knights fans know it. After a 2025-26 season that saw him post a 3.04 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage, the former Stanley Cup hero became a lightning rod in Vegas. Plenty of fans wanted the six-year, $6.25 million AAV contract moved this summer, and some wanted Hill gone altogether.
That still might happen at some point. Kelly McCrimmon has shown he can make a deal, and Hill remains one of the more controversial names on the roster. But the Golden Knights also appear to have some belief in him, which leaves open a path for a reset rather than an exit.
For Hill, the fix starts with the basics. He had a bad habit of allowing soft goals and then giving up another one soon after, often within five minutes or less. That kind of stretch can wreck a game fast, and it left fans beyond frustrated.
The first step is simple: settle down after the first goal. A goalie has to wipe the slate clean quickly. If not, the damage piles up in a hurry.
Hill also needs to lean into what makes him effective physically. At 6'4", he has the size to cover plenty of net without overextending. Staying compact and using that frame efficiently could help him get back to the version of himself Vegas needs.
If Hill does rebound, the payoff is bigger than just better numbers in the crease. A stronger season would give the Golden Knights a more stable tandem with Carter Hart and Hill handling the load, which would keep the team from spiraling every time a puck goes in.
It would also raise Hill’s trade value, which matters for McCrimmon and for a goalie room that already has Carl Lindbom and Cameron Whitehead waiting in the wings. A bounceback gives Vegas more options and could set up a move down the road.
The alternative is obvious, and it’s not one the Golden Knights want to think about. An injury would create that kind of opening too, but that’s not the route anyone in Vegas is hoping for.
In Other News...
Golden Knights May Have Just Made Their Dream Move Even Tougher
Pavel Dorofeyev is now off the board after the Golden Knights sent him to the Rangers, and that move only sharpened the sense that Vegas is trying to keep its options open while juggling a roster that already has little breathing room. For a team that has never been shy about chasing upgrades, every subtraction matters, especially when the front office is also trying to manage cap space and maintain enough depth to survive a long season.
The bigger issue is that any major swing still has to line up with what Detroit would actually want back, and that is where the path gets murky. Analysts and insiders have pointed to the Golden Knights financial constraints and roster limitations as real hurdles, and with the trade deadline still ahead, this remains one of those situations that could look very different depending on how the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Keep A Familiar Gritty Piece In Henderson
Brandon Hickey is sticking around in Henderson, giving the Silver Knights another season of a familiar blue-line presence as the organization continues to value stability in the AHL. The veteran defenseman has been part of the fabric there since 2021-22, and his return keeps one of the teams most dependable pieces in place for the 2026-27 campaign.
For Vegas, it is the kind of move that fits the identity the franchise has long preferred from its depth teams: steady, physical and hard to play against. Hickeys background also brings a little extra weight to the role, with a third-round pedigree from Calgary and past time representing Team Canada on the international stage, even as Henderson keeps leaning on the same gritty edge he has provided for years. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Fans Get A First Look At Juho Piiparinens Personality
Juho Piiparinens first summer with the Golden Knights offered more than just on-ice reps at Development Camp at City National Arena. The first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has already built a promising rsum with Tappara in Finlands Liiga and a run with Finland at the 2026 World Junior Championship, but the camp also gave fans a chance to get a better feel for the prospect behind the scouting report.
Piiparinen filled out a questionnaire during the week, and the answers helped sketch out a little more of his personality and hockey taste. From the players and moments he singled out to the small personal details he shared, it was the kind of glimpse that makes a young prospect feel a little more real, even if the biggest parts of his story in Vegas are still ahead. [Read more 🡒]