While the Vegas Golden Knights are not too far away from kickstarting an exciting offseason, one player has already confirmed their intentions.
According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, goaltender Ilya Samsonov has already said that he will not re-sign with the Golden Knights, preferring to test the open market when free agency opens up on July 1.
Samsonov arrived in Vegas as a buy-low proposition, signing a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Golden Knights after struggling with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the previous season. While Samsonov did improve with a 16-9-4 record and 2.82 goals against average, his .891 save percentage highlighted massive inconsistency in his performance. When he was demoted to third-string goaltender during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in favor of Akira Schmid, the writing was on the wall.
Samsonov and the Golden Knights now seek a fresh start.
For Samsonov, the decision to leave Vegas and try his luck in free agency is not too surprising.
With the top free agent goalies already signing extensions (including Vegas’ own Adin Hill), the market is weaker than it has been in recent years. Only two free agent goaltenders (New Jersey Devils backup Jake Allen and Ottawa Senator goalie Anton Forsberg) posted save percentages at or above .900. Samsonov could still sell a team on his potential as a backup with some upside left, which could lead to a raise elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Vegas could make a decision of their own in terms of goaltending.
Hill and Schmid are both under contract for next season, and prospect Carl Lindbom has progressed well with the AHL Henderson Silver Knights. However, going into the season with just those three poses some risk, especially since Schmid was much better in Vegas than in Henderson. While most of the cap space the Golden Knights currently have will go towards improving the rest of the roster, it would be unsurprising to see them sign a goaltender at or below the veteran minimum of $775,000 to push Schmid for the backup spot and provide stable veteran depth.
Samsonov’s stay in Vegas was always expected to be short, and both player and team appear set to move on.
