Ilya Samsonov, former goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals, is set to make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Golden Knights have secured victories in their first two games of the season with Adin Hill in goal. Although Hill’s statistics may seem slightly below average, the 28-year-old has performed well enough to win both matches.
With the third game in five nights upcoming, HC Bruce Cassidy stated that the plan was always to start Hill for the first two games and allow Samsonov to take one of the three.
“Samsonov is gonna play tomorrow. We want to get both goalies involved,” said Cassidy. “So that was the plan all along. Adin would play two of the first three, and it happened to be the first two. So Sammy is going in, and you’ll see him back in there next week, too.”
Asked #GoldenKnights coach Bruce Cassidy since it will be the 3rd game in 5 nights was it time to give Adin Hill the night off.
Cassidy said the plan was to always start Hill the first two games and get Ilya Samsonov in the third game, tomorrow vs. Anaheim.#VegasBorn
— WillieGRamireZ (@WillieGRamirez) October 12, 2024
Ilya Samsonov, now 27 years old, was selected as the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. His first three seasons with the Capitals had their ups and downs, and when his entry-level contract expired, the Capitals chose not to offer him a qualifying deal, allowing him to become a free agent. The Maple Leafs, having experienced the departures of Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell in consecutive years, needed a new goaltender. They decided to take a chance on Samsonov, which proved successful during his first of two seasons.
In his debut season with the Maple Leafs, he played 42 games, achieving a .919 SV% and a 2.33 GAA. He also contributed to their first playoff series victory in 19 years. However, his second season was less successful, as he posted a .890 SV% and a 3.13 GAA in 40 starts, leading to a brief demotion to the AHL team, the Toronto Marlies.
When the Golden Knights traded Logan Thompson to the Capitals, many speculated about their next steps in finding a backup for Adin Hill. The decision to acquire Samsonov was based on hopes he could rediscover his performance from the 2022-23 season.
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