The San Jose Sharks experienced a brief period of peace in the goaltending department a few seasons ago. They managed to bring in James Reimer as a free agent following the purchase of longtime guard Martin Jones. They had an ever-evolving group of leads, including Benjamin Goudreau, Strauss-Mann, and more. However, right before the roster freeze for the Seattle Kraken expansion project, the Sharks beefed up their goal-scoring prowess by Bring in Adin Hill.
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At the time, Hill was seen as the odd man out in the Arizona Coyote organization. Anti Ranta and Darcy Comber-Hill pushed the goalkeeper into the extra net. However, he showed flashes of potential that intrigued the sharks. They decided to bring him in to give him a real chance in the NHL, but not for long. After just one season, The Sharks sent him to the Vegas Golden Knights, as he proceeded to lead them to the Stanley Cup Final. While this might give fans the impression that the Sharks gave up on him early, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The Sharks were unable to support Hill
Goaltender development can be incredibly unpredictable. Unlike skaters, goaltenders need a lot of support from their team to become starters. On Coyote, Hill has that support. Despite the narrative that surrounds this team now, when it was in Arizona, they had a very strong defensive team. However, with the Sharks, they’ve struggled on defense for far too long, and it was no different when Hill was on the team. By all accounts, they couldn’t help him develop.
Even if the Sharks could keep Hill in the future when the defense started to turn around, he would risk becoming the odd man again. During the 2022 trade deadline, the Sharks picked up Kaptu Kahkonen from the Minnesota Wild. While running Hill and Kahkonen would have been a beneficial tandem in the long run, neither team wanted Reimer. As a result, Hill was again falling behind the rest of the team. When combined with his inconsistent playing, he was the most logical person to move on from.
Sharks are not ready for goalkeeper development
The case for developing Hill to its fullest potential extends even further. While it was, unfortunately, the goalkeeper who got cut, they risk having the same problem with Kahkonen and Eetu Makiniemi. San Jose’s defensive situation has not improved since Hill’s departure. If he was still in San Jose, his career could go downhill due to the lack of support he would have.
Realistically speaking, the biggest mistake the Sharks made when they traded Hill was sending him to one of their biggest competitors. The Golden Knights might have a goalie who could lead them to several Stanley Cups if he can hold his own under their defense. However, Sharks fans should be able to take solace in the fact that they likely saved Hill’s career, even if they could only do so by giving him away to a competitor.
While Hill hasn’t been able to practice in San Jose, the Sharks need to make sure they don’t repeat their mistakes with current and future goalies. They have young goalkeepers who aren’t receiving the support they should from their defence, especially given the Sharks’ focus on offensive defensemen. While the Sharks made the choice that was best for both parties, they risk making that decision over and over again if nothing changes.