Ilya Samsonov finds surprising landing spot after departure from the Maple Leafs
Ilya Samsonov has reportedly found himself a new home on day 1 of free agency, settling on a 1-year deal with Western Conference contender.
Per Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express is reporting that Samsonov will join the Vegas Golden Knights on a 1-year deal. The cap hit is reportedly $1.8M
The 2023-24 season was a tough one for Samsonov, who was, at one point, placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs and at risk of being claimed for free by another NHL club. When Samsonov went unclaimed, it provided the Leafs with a unique opportunity to give him some time away from the game to get his mind right and rediscover his focus.
Samsonov ended up going on to post 23 wins, en route to a 23-7-8 record, securing the #1 goalie spot heading into the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Samsonov's 3.13 GAA and .890 SV% were both well below his career averages, but in the end, the Leafs simply could not commit to extending him and risking a similar run in 2024-25.
For the Golden Knights, they'll have a competent 1B to play in behind Adin Hill after shipping Logan Thompson off to Washington over the weekend.
Source: HockeyDb
Ilya Samsonov stats and bio
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 1 | 940 ANSWERS Ilya Samsonov finds surprising landing spot after departure from the Maple Leafs Will you miss Ilya Samsonov in Toronto? | ||
| Yes, I liked Sammy | 187 | 19.9 % |
| No, we needed a stable goalie tandem | 576 | 61.3 % |
| I'll miss him more if he performs well in Vegas | 177 | 18.8 % |
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