It will be a one-and-done stay for Ilya Samsonov in Vegas. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox reports that the goaltender does not intend to re-sign with the Golden Knights and will instead test the open market when free agency opens up on July 1st.
Samsonov didn’t have a great tour through free agency last year. After making $3.55MM in his final year in Toronto, the 28-year-old took nearly a 50% pay cut, inking a one-year, $1.8MM pact in Vegas. Seeing his salary take a dip wasn’t surprising given that his 2023-24 performance was the worst of his career, one that saw him record a 3.13 GAA and a .890 SV% in 40 starts with the Maple Leafs while even clearing waivers at one point. Joining Vegas seemed like a good idea for a soft landing spot to allow him to rebuild some value.
Whether he accomplished that to a significant degree is up for some debate, however. While he shaved 31 points off his GAA (down to 2.82), his save percentage only went up by one point although his Goals Saved Above Expected went up by nearly nine, per MoneyPuck. Instead of making the case that he can still be a starter or at least a platoon player, Samsonov basically cemented his status as being more of a backup goalie heading into his now third foray on the open market.
Still, Samsonov should be able to generate some interest in free agency in a UFA class that isn’t particularly deep. Jake Allen is the headliner and in a tier of his own while Samsonov will be competing with the likes of Alexandar Georgiev, Daniel Vladar, and Anton Forsberg to try to secure a contract to be a second-string option for next season.
As for Vegas, it’s possible that they could be on the lookout for a new backup themselves. While Adin Hill is now entrenched as the starter as he begins a new six-year deal next season, Akira Schmid is currently penciled as the backup but is coming off a rocky year with AHL Henderson. If they want a more proven option behind Hill, they could look to free agency but if they want to keep as much cap space intact as possible, they might opt to give Schmid the first opportunity to secure the number two role.
Vegas honestly can’t be feeling good about Hill right now. Outside of Skinner was one of the worst goalies in the playoffs and his numbers have regressed since his fluke playoff run.