When Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon traded Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals this past June during the NHL draft, it signaled that the net in Vegas now solely belongs to Adin Hill.
With Thompson now out of the picture, Hill will likely shoulder the majority of the work load in Vegas this season, with the up and down Ilya Samsonov now serving as the backup.
Hill, 28, played in a career high 35 games during the 23-24 season. That number will certainly increase this year with Hill now the unquestioned starter. The opportunity for Hill comes at a crucial time as he is entering the final year of his contract. If Hill were to start 50+ games this season for the Golden Knights while leading the Knights to a top 3 finish in what will be a very competitive Pacific division, it could lead to a lucrative contract for Adin Hill this summer.
Another aspect of this coming season that will be important for Adin Hill is the upcoming NHL 4 Nations’ Faceoff in February. If Hill gets off to a great start for the Golden Knights it is possible that he will be the starting goalie for Canada when the tournament kicks off.
Related: Will Canada Tap The Knights’ Adin Hill As Starter In The Upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off?
While Canada’s goaltending pool isn’t as deep as it once was, Hill will still have competition in the form of the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner and the Blues‘ Jordan Binnington. If Hill does indeed grab the starting job for Canada and performs well that could further help Hills’ case for a big payday.
Last season Hill posted a win-loss record of 19-12-2 with a 2.71 goals against average and a .909 save percentage with 2 shutouts.
With a career season in his contract year Hill will likely earn more than his current $4.9M salary. While Hill won’t get anywhere near the amount Bruins current RFA in Jeremy Swayman will or the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin when his current expires next summer, Hill could still be poised to receive a multi-year contract worth somewhere between an AAV of 6-6.5M.
Hill was acquired by the Golden Knights in August of 2022 from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2024 4th round pick(Christian Kirsch). In 136 career games with the now defunct Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Golden Knights, Hill has a career record of 64-51-8 and 7 shutouts.