Adin Hill has very similar story to former Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff

Jun 7 2023, 6:54 pm

The path to stardom wasn’t easy for former Calgary Flames goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff, nor has it been for Adin Hill.

Hill, who is currently serving as the No. 1 goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights, finds himself just two wins away from a Stanley Cup championship. If you were to have watched him since he came into action during the second round versus the Edmonton Oilers, you would think he was one of the best in the business. Until lately, however, that wasn’t the case.

Last offseason, the San Jose Sharks decided they had seen enough in Hill after acquiring him just a year prior. The now 27-year-old battled injuries and was inconsistent when healthy, resulting in him being shipped to the Golden Knights for just a fourth-round pick in 2024.

The deal didn’t seem lopsided at the time, but with Hill now being considered a legitimate Conn Smythe candidate, it appears the Sharks gave up on him far too soon. As pointed out by Darren Haynes of The Athletic, this isn’t the first time they have done this with a top-tier goalie.

Early in the 2003-04 season, the Sharks had a logjam in their crease with Evgeni Nabokov, Vesa Toskala, and Kiprusoff all under contract. The latter had struggled the season prior, resulting in Sharks management trading him to the Flames for a second-round pick.

At the time of the deal, Kiprusoff was just 27 years old. Like Hill, he put together an impressive first season with his new team. He then took them on a miraculous to the Stanley Cup Final, during which time he posted a 1.85 goals against average (GAA) along with a .928 save percentage (SV%) in 26 appearances.

Kiprusoff’s numbers that year were undoubtedly Conn Smythe calibre, though the Flames fell short in a Cup Final that went the distance versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As for Hill, he owns some awe-inspiring numbers of his own, with a 2.06 GAA and a .937 SV% through 13 games. The story is eerily similar to Kiprusoff’s, though Hill’s shot to hoist the Stanley Cup remains within reach. Regardless of the outcome, Sharks fans have to be kicking themselves knowing they handed away two highly talented goaltenders.

Colton PankiwColton Pankiw

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