Mar 19, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) reacts after a shot against the Utah Mammoth is deflected out of play during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Golden Knights Can't Stop Skid as Playoffs Near

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 12:00 PM ET

Ideally, a team is hitting their stride as the postseason arrives, but the Vegas Golden Knights have the opposite issue on their hands. With a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, the Golden Knights have gone from on top of the Pacific Division to barely holding on to the final guaranteed playoff spot.

The Golden Knights' contender status is in trouble, but now their spot in the postseason is far from guaranteed.

How did they get here? After an exciting offseason and continued investment in building a Stanley Cup contender, a lack of forward depth and shaky goaltending might cost them their place in the postseason.

Goaltending Continues to Haunt Golden Knights

There's nothing more detrimental to a team at this stage of the season than inconsistent goaltending. Unfortunately, that's the biggest issue plaguing Vegas.

The team's veteran starter Adin Hill is having a troublesome campaign. In 21 starts, he's accumulated a record of 8-8-3 with a 3.08 goals-against average and a .869 save percentage.

Three years ago, the Golden Knights rode Hill's 14 victories to the organization's first Stanley Cup victory. Fast forward to now, and he's become an average backup to 25-year-old Akira Schmid.

Schmid has taken over the number one role in Vegas, but it hasn't been for the betterment of Golden Knights. To his credit, Schmid has a 16-9-6 record with a 2.54 goals-against average, but one other statistic reveals the bigger story.

According to NHL EDGE, Schmid has a clear weakness. He struggles with high-danger shot attempts, and the Golden Knights are extremely prone to allowing them. Schmid sports a high-danger save percentage of just .785, which ranks below the 50th percentile of all NHL goalies this season.

Bottom Six Boost?

The Golden Knights spent time and resources to improve their entire team this season. Before the seasong began, they brought in superstar forward Mitch Marner and acquired veterans Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. Before the 2026 Trade Deadline, they kept building, adding veteran right-handed defender Rasmus Andersson and two-way center Nic Dowd to fill out their lineup.

The top of the forward group has been excellent. Marner has 69 points in 68 games and Pavel Dorofeyev has once again cracked the 30-goal mark.

It's the bottom six that's the issue. Even with the veteran additions of Dowd and Sissons, the bulk of the Vegas offense comes from their top two lines. They've tried different line combinations without success, and now it's become their undoing. It's resulted in players like Brandon Saad and Cole Smith watching from the press box while counted on players like Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden aren't able to reach the 20-point mark.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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