Former Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov will make his Vegas Golden Knights debut against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Golden Knights have won their first two games of the season with Adin Hill in goal, and despite his numbers looking a bit subpar, the 28-year-old has done enough to win both outings.
With the third game in five nights, HC Bruce Cassidy said the plan was always to play Hill for the first two before giving Samsonov the crease for the third game of the season.
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
Samsonov, now 27 years old, was a former 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft. His first three seasons with the Capitals had its ups and downs and when his entry-level contract was up, the Capitals elected not to tender him a qualifying offer and allow him to become a free agent. The Maple Leafs had watched Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell leave in free agency in back-to-back years and were in need of a new netminder. The Maple Leafs took a flyer on Samsonov and it paid off for the first of two seasons.
In his first campaign with the Maple Leafs, he played in 42 games, recording a .919SV% and a 2.33GAA. He also helped them win their first playoff series in 19 years as well. His second season with the club was a different story. He recorded just a .890SV% and a 3.13GAA in 40 starts and was demoted to their AHL team, the Toronto Marlies, for a brief stint midway through the season.
When the Golden Knights traded Logan Thompson to the Capitals, many wondered what direction the Golden Knights would go while looking for a backup to Hill. When they landed on Samsonov, the consensus was that the move would be solely banking on him finding the form he had in 2022-23.
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Tomorrow’s game against a young Ducks team with high offensive talent will be a fairly good test for Samsonov and an opportunity to show the Golden Knights the move will pay off.
Samsonov spoke about how he feels heading into his first start with his new team.
“I feel confident. I know I worked hard in the summer, and I feel good in my mind too, which is really important,” said Samsonov. “We’ll see what’s going on. I just try to stay in the moment and enjoy today. Practice, feel good and tomorrow is a new day, so I’ll continue to work.”
🎥 Samsonov: I feel confident. I know I worked hard in the summer, and I feel good in my mind too, which is really important. pic.twitter.com/6gMB75nUo5
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 12, 2024
Samsonov hasn’t played a game since Oct. 3, where he stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced against the Colorado Avalanche. When asked about how he is staying sharp and prepared, he mentioned working hard in practice and improving every aspect of his game.
“I just continue to work hard and wait for my chance to play. Not specifically [working on anything particular]. Typical goalie drills, nothing crazy. A lot of work with the team. It’s more important for me to understand how we play in different situations.”
Samsonov will be given the opportunity to show that he is worthy of more starts as Cassidy has made it clear about the team’s early plan for splitting starts. The ball is in Samsonov’s court and he needs to show the team what he’s got.
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