If you’ve followed hockey for more than five minutes, you know the Vegas Golden Knights don’t do "normal." Most teams find a franchise goalie, ride him until his knees give out, and call it a day. Vegas? They treat the blue paint like a revolving door at a high-end casino. It’s chaotic, it’s expensive, and for some reason, it usually works.
Right now, as we hit the middle of January 2026, the situation with the vegas golden knights goalies is exactly what you'd expect: a mix of massive contracts, unexpected injuries, and a guy from Switzerland basically saving their season.
Honestly, it’s a miracle they keep winning games with this much turnover.
The Massive Bet on Adin Hill
Let’s talk about the big elephant in the room. Or rather, the guy with the $37.5 million contract. Adin Hill isn't just "the guy" anymore; he’s a massive financial commitment. Back in March 2025, Kelly McCrimmon decided to lock Hill down with a six-year extension. $6.25 million a year is a lot of scratch for a goalie who has struggled to stay on the ice for a full 82-game slate.
But when Hill is on? He's a wall. We saw it in the 2023 Cup run. The problem is "when."
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Currently, Hill is dealing with yet another lower-body injury. He’s been out since mid-November, and while the team says he’s "wrapping up his recovery," we’ve heard that song before. When he did play earlier this season, the numbers weren't exactly Vezina-caliber—a .872 save percentage through seven games. You don't pay six million for sub-.900 hockey.
The critics are already chirping. They say the contract is an albatross. But in Vegas, they don't care about the noise. They care about June.
Akira Schmid: The Hero Nobody Saw Coming
While everyone was staring at Hill's injury report, Akira Schmid just... took over.
Vegas picked him up in the 2024 offseason (part of the Alexander Holtz trade), and he spent a good chunk of last year in Henderson. Now? He’s the reason the Knights are still fighting for the top of the Pacific.
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As of January 18, 2026, Schmid has appeared in 25 games. His record is a staggering 14-4-5. While his save percentage sits at .897—which sounds low until you realize how high-scoring the league has become this year—he just wins. He’s 6’5”, he’s calm, and he doesn’t get rattled when the Vegas defense decides to go on a safari in the neutral zone.
He’s currently the de facto starter. Just this past Wednesday, he grinded out an overtime win against the Kings. Then he’s expected to start again tonight against Nashville. The kid is a workhorse.
What Happened to the Other Guys?
The depth chart for vegas golden knights goalies looks like a game of musical chairs where the music never stops.
- Carter Hart: Vegas took a flyer on him with a two-year, $2 million AAV deal. It was a "show-me" contract. He played 12 games this season, went 5-3-3, and then—stop me if you’ve heard this—got hurt. He’s currently week-to-week with a lower-body issue.
- Ilya Samsonov: He’s gone. Totally out of the picture. After a mediocre 2024-25 season where he ended up as the third-stringer behind Hill and Schmid, he couldn’t find an NHL home this past summer. He signed a two-year deal with HC Sochi in the KHL back in November.
- Carl Lindbom: The 22-year-old Swede is the "break glass in case of emergency" option. He’s been up and down from the AHL all month. He actually played 8 games earlier this year when Hill and Hart were both down, but he was sent back to the Henderson Silver Knights just two days ago.
The Bruce Cassidy System vs. Individual Talent
There is a long-standing theory that Bruce Cassidy’s defensive system makes every goalie look like Patrick Roy. Is that true? Sorta.
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The Knights give up a lot of shots, but they tend to be "low-danger" shots from the perimeter. That’s why you see guys like Laurent Brossoit, Logan Thompson, and now Akira Schmid post winning records despite wildly different styles.
However, the 2025-26 season has tested that theory. With Alex Pietrangelo out for the season with a hip injury and Brayden McNabb currently on IR, the defensive core is leaking. The goalies are being asked to do more. Schmid is handling it. Hill, when healthy, usually handles it. But the margin for error is razor-thin right now.
Actionable Insights for the Second Half
If you’re betting on the Knights or just trying to manage your fantasy roster, here is the reality of the Vegas crease:
- Don't Rush Hill Back: If you're a fan, you want Hill healthy for the playoffs. Rushing him back in January is a mistake Vegas has made before. Expect Schmid to keep the lion's share of starts through February.
- The Schmid Extension: Akira Schmid is an RFA with arbitration rights this summer. If he keeps playing like this, the Knights are going to have a very expensive problem on their hands. They are already tight against the cap (around $85 million active roster).
- Trade Deadline Noise: Watch the waiver wire. If Hart's injury lingers and Hill has a setback, McCrimmon isn't the type of GM to sit on his hands. He will trade a first-round pick for a rental goalie without blinking if it means staying in the hunt.
The goalie situation in Vegas is never "solved." It’s managed. Right now, it’s being managed by a 25-year-old Swiss kid making $875,000, while the $6 million man watches from the press box. It’s peak Vegas.
Stay tuned to the daily injury reports. In this city, the only thing more volatile than the slot machines is the health of the man standing between the pipes.