The Washington Capitals will undoubtedly be in the market for a goaltender this off-season. Ilya Samsonov did not receive a qualifying offer from the team and looks to be headed to free agency. According to Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic, Washington is prepared to let Samsonov walk.
The #Caps did not issue a qualifying offer to goaltender Ilya Samsonov.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) July 11, 2022
This move puts the Caps in an interesting position since they already traded their other goalie, Vitek Vanecek, to the New Jersey Devils at the NHL Entry Draft last week.
Vanecek and Samsonov split crease duties last season, with the former having the better year. In 38 starts and 42 appearances, Vanecek had a 2.67 GAA, a .908 save percentage, and four shutouts.
Samsonov started 40 games, appeared in 44, and recorded a 23-12-5 mark, with a 3.02 goals-against average, three shutouts, and a .896 save percentage.
Apparently, neither campaign blew the organization away, as they will move on from both netminders in hopes of landing a reliable starter via free agency.
FanDuel Sportsbook has Washington in the middle of the pack with +3500 odds to win next year’s Stanley Cup.
