Sharks Made the Right Choice in Letting Adin Hill Go

The San Jose Sharks experienced a brief time of peace in their goaltending department a few seasons ago. They were able to bring in James Reimer as a free agent following the buyout of long-time Sharks goaltender Martin Jones. They had an ever-evolving group of goaltending prospects, including Benjamin Gaudreau, Strauss Mann, and more. However, right before the roster freeze for the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft, the Sharks solidified their goaltending prowess by bringing in Adin Hill.

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At the time, Hill was seen as the odd man out in the Arizona Coyote’s organization. Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper had pushed Hill to the extra goalie slot. However, he showed flashes of potential that intrigued the Sharks. They decided to bring him in to give him a real shot in the NHL, but not for long. After just one season, the Sharks sent him to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he proceeded to lead them to the Stanley Cup Final. While this may give fans the impression that the Sharks gave up on him too early, that does not seem to be the case.

Goaltender development can be incredibly unpredictable. Unlike skaters, goalies need a lot of support from their team to grow into starters. On the Coyotes, Hill got that support. Despite the narrative that surrounds that team now, when he was in Arizona, they had a very solid defensive team. However, with the Sharks, they have struggled on defense for a very long time, and that was no different when Hill was on the team. By all accounts, they were unable to help him develop.

Even if the Sharks were able to keep Hill into the future when the defense began to turn around, he was running the risk of becoming the odd man out yet again. During the 2022 Trade Deadline, the Sharks picked up Kaapo Kahkonen from the Minnesota Wild. While running a Hill and Kahkonen tandem could have been beneficial in the long run, no team wanted Reimer. As a result, Hill was yet again going to fall behind the rest of the team. When combined with his inconsistent play, he was the one who made the most sense to move on from.

The issue with developing Hill to his full potential extends beyond him. While he was, unfortunately, the goaltender that got cut, they are running the risk of encountering the same issue with Kahkonen and Eetu Makiniemi. The defensive situation in San Jose has not improved since Hill left. If he was still in San Jose, his career could have plummeted with the lack of support he would be receiving.

Realistically, the biggest mistake the Sharks made when they traded Hill was sending him to one of their biggest rivals. The Golden Knights may have a goaltender that could lead them to multiple Stanley Cups if he can stay consistent under their defense. However, Sharks fans should at least be able to take solace in the fact that they likely saved Hill’s career, even if they could only do that by giving him to a rival.

While Hill was unable to work out in San Jose, the Sharks need to ensure they do not repeat their mistakes with their current and future goaltenders. They have young goalies that are not receiving the support that they should be from their defense, especially considering the Sharks’ emphasis on offensive-based defensemen. While the Sharks made the choice that was the best for both parties, they are running the risk of having to make that decision over and over again if nothing changes.