If you asked general manager Kelly McCrimmon a month ago what the plan was, it probably didn’t look like this. The Vegas Golden Knights have always thrived on a certain brand of controlled chaos—aggressive trades, cap gymnastics, and a ruthlessness that borders on cold. But the current situation in the crease is a high-wire act performed without a net.
As the team packs their bags for the longest road trip of the 2025-26 campaign, the goaltending depth chart looks less like a rotation and more like a triage unit. Between long-term injuries to established starters, a controversial signing that has already hit a snag, and a youngster playing the hero against his former club, the Golden Knights are navigating a seriously volatile stretch between the pipes.
The Carter Hart Experiment: Blink and You Missed It
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. The signing of Carter Hart was always going to be a lightning rod. When Vegas inked the former Philadelphia Flyers netminder to a two-year deal in late October, it was a bet on upside.
Carter Hart with the Henderson Silver Knights (Photo credit: Henderson Silver Knights Flickr)
After his acquittal in the 2018 World Junior case, Hart’s return to professional hockey was never going to be quiet. But the on-ice product has been just as loud, albeit briefly. His debut on Dec. 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks was vintage Vegas theater. It wasn’t the cleanest game you’ll ever see—a 4-3 shootout win rarely is—but Hart battled. He made the saves he had to make, stopping 27 shots and looking largely composed for a guy who hadn’t played an NHL game in nearly two years.
Then came the scratch.
Just two days after participating fully in practice, Hart was listed as “day-to-day” with a lower-body injury before the game against the New Jersey Devils. The timing has some scratching their heads, but whatever the full story, Vegas has called up Jesper Vikman from the Henderson Silver Knights as emergency backup.
Schmid’s Revenge and the Stabilization Factor
While the Hart situation grabs the headlines, Akira Schmid has quietly saved the team’s season. When you lose your starter for nearly 20 games (Adin Hill), you usually expect a dip in the standings. Instead, Schmid has kept the ship afloat, and his performance against the Devils—the team that shipped him off to the desert in June 2024—was poetic justice.
Akira Schmid, Vegas Golden Knights (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
Schmid’s 24-save shutout against the Devils wasn’t just a “revenge game” narrative; it was a clinic in positional soundness. The Devils controlled the pace for long stretches, pinning Vegas in their own end, but Schmid rarely looked scrambled. He wasn’t making desperation dives; he was simply in the right place, absorbing pucks and killing plays.
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His numbers on the season—a record of 10-2-4—tell the story of a goalie who knows how to win, even if the underlying stats aren’t Vezina Trophy-caliber. He’s stopping 90.3% of the shots he faces, which is roughly league average, but he’s making the timely saves. In a system like head coach Bruce Cassidy’s, which protects the middle of the ice, you don’t need a superhero every night. You need someone who makes the routine stops and one or two big ones. Schmid has done exactly that, providing a sense of calm while the rest of the roster churns around him.
The Cliff Edge of Depth
Despite Schmid’s heroics, we can’t ignore the precarious position the Golden Knights are in. Hill has been a ghost for the last 19 games, dealing with a lingering lower-body issue that has dragged on far longer than initially expected. Hill is the backbone of this team’s defensive identity, and his absence puts immense pressure on everyone else to play a perfect structural game.
The ripple effect of Hill’s injury—and now Hart’s “day-to-day” status—is that Vegas is one bad bounce away from disaster. The recall of Vikman is a necessity, not a luxury. But he is a prospect, not a solution. His numbers in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season have been rough, allowing nearly three and a half goals per game with a save rate well below the NHL standard.
Jesper Vikman, Henderson Silver Knights (Photo credit: Henderson Silver Knights Flickr)
If Schmid falters, or worse, if he tweaks something during this grueling five-game road trip, Vegas will be forced to throw Vikman into the fire against NHL competition. That is a terrifying prospect for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
The Road Ahead
This is the reality of the salary cap era. You pay your stars, you find value on the margins, and you pray your goaltending holds up. Right now, Vegas is balancing on a knife’s edge. They are managing a long-term absence to their franchise starter, navigating the PR and roster complexities of a high-profile rehabilitation project, and riding the hot hand of a young backup who is playing out of his mind.
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The upcoming road trip will be the litmus test. If Schmid can maintain this level of play, and if Hart can return to the lineup to provide genuine relief, the Knights might just weather the storm. But if the volatility continues, the front office might have to get creative again. If we know anything about this franchise, they won’t hesitate to make a move.
Buckle up. The crease is crowded, but it’s far from settled.
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