Vegas has become known in the NHL for the opportunity it has given borderline players to transform themselves into everyday players and sometimes even stars. Next up, goaltender Adin Hill.
The 6-6 stopper from Comox, BC, was acquired by the Golden Knights on Monday from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a fourth-round pick (2024).
Hill will skate right into a crease pile and compete with Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson for the VGK starting gig.
Hill is very mobile for such a large goaltender, and he has a high compete level. At 26 he’s entering his prime and has yet to show himself to be a No. 1 in the NHL.
The opportunities he’s been given have been with poor teams. But Hill still managed to put up solid numbers despite playing behind porous squads.
A career .908 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against over 74 NHL games shows Hill has promise. A number of questions immediately come to mind:
What would those numbers look like with a superior roster in front of him?
What will playing for a Bruce Cassidy coached team do to those numbers?
Can Hill carry the load and mental weight associated with taking the net of a contender on a consistent basis?
Every goalie says they want to be a No. 1 but until confronted with the prospect and given the opportunity to live the role, it’s difficult to discern whether the player has the makeup for the job.
Hill posted a .906 save percentage and 2.66 goals against in 25 games played last season for the Sharks earning a 10-11-1 won-lost record.