11:35 a.m.: Hill’s extension in Vegas is official, the team announced.
8:50 a.m.: The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Adin Hill to a six-year extension worth $37.5MM (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). The new deal will carry an AAV of $6.25MM which is just a shade above the $5.85MM that Washington Capitals netminder and former Golden Knights teammate Logan Thompson signed for just a few weeks ago.
Hill could have tested unrestricted free agency this summer, but opted for the comfort of a familiar setting and the security of a long-term extension. Hill is in the final season of a two-year deal he signed in the summer of 2023 and is currently carrying a $4.9MM AAV, but is making $4.2MM in actual salary.
Hill became somewhat of a folk hero in 2023 as he led the Golden Knights to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history after several goaltenders went down to injury. The 28-year-old had been acquired by Vegas late in the summer of 2022 for a fourth-round pick and was expected to serve as depth. He took the reins and guided the Golden Knights to a title by posting an 11-4 record with a .932 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average. He bet on himself in the following summer, taking a two-year deal instead of a long-term contract, and the gamble has paid off as he will now be paid like a top-10 NHL goaltender.
On the surface, Hill’s numbers for the last two seasons look rather pedestrian. He has posted save percentages of .909 and .906, respectively, but a deeper dive into the data shows that Hill has been incredibly valuable to Vegas. He posted goals saved above expected of 6.4 in 2023-24 and 13.8 this season (as per Money Puck), and more importantly, he’s been a steady presence for a Golden Knights team that still has Stanley Cup aspirations. This season Hill has dressed in a career high 39 games, and has gone 24-11-4 with a 2.53 goals-against average and four shutouts.
With Hill signed long-term, Vegas is now projected to have just over $10.49MM in available cap space this summer (as per PuckPedia). While they are unlikely to make a big splash with limited funds, the Golden Knights don’t have any major extensions to worry about other than veteran depth players.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.