NHL EDGE stats for Vegas Golden Knights

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2024-25 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Vegas Golden Knights:

1. Goalie Adin Hill ranked fifth in the NHL in high-danger save percentage (.834) last season and also had the best long-range save percentage (.995) in the League.

Between Hill’s Stanley Cup run in 2023 and strong advanced metrics last season, he remains Vegas’ No. 1 option; Logan Thompson was traded to the Washington Capitals this offseason, and depth moves were made at the position with the signing of Ilya Samsonov (one-year contract) and acquisition of Akira Schmid (from New Jersey Devils). Hill set NHL career highs in games played (35) and wins (19) last season despite missing time because of injury and has a high ceiling this season considering he is 12-6 with a .932 save percentage and three shutouts in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

2. The Golden Knights had two of the NHL’s top 10 in offensive zone time percentage on the power play during the 2024 postseason in forwards Mark Stone (66.2; eighth) and Tomas Hertl (66.1; ninth).

Hertl was acquired prior to the NHL Trade Deadline and Stone missed significant time with an injury for the second straight regular season before returning in time for the postseason. But their time together on the first power-play unit with elite center Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin (acquired from Calgary Flames prior to deadline) in the playoffs provided a glimpse of the group’s potential ahead of their first full regular season together.

Stone scored two power-play goals on two power-play shots on goal, and Hertl scored one PPG on a team-leading four power-play SOG in the Golden Knights’ seven-game series loss to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference First Round; Hanifin had three power-play assists in the postseason, while Eichel had two. Eichel had the third-hardest max shot speed among forwards in the postseason (95.19 miles per hour) behind J.T. Miller (97.28) and Brock Boeser (96.58) of the Vancouver Canucks, making Vegas’ new-look power play even more explosive.

3. Forward Ivan Barbashev ranked 10th among NHL forwards in max shot speed (98.93 mph) last regular season.

Barbashev was another 2023 playoff standout with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 22 games during the Golden Knights’ championship run. He had a high shooting percentage (15.6; 90th percentile) last season, which can be attributed to his hard shot. But after the departure of versatile forward Chandler Stephenson (signed seven-year contract with Seattle Kraken), the Golden Knights will rely on Barbashev to take on an expanded role and produce closer to his NHL career high in points (60 with St. Louis Blues in 2021-22; 45 last season).