Goaltender to make Knights debut Sunday against Ducks

Ilya Samsonov has played enough to not let nerves rattle him.

There’s some anxiety when making your first start for a new team, however.

That will come Sunday when Samsonov makes his Golden Knights debut against the Anaheim Ducks at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena to close out a three-game homestand to begin the season.

Since Bruce Cassidy took over as Knights coach in 2022, he and director of goaltending Sean Burke have mapped the goaltending rotation month to month. Performance can dictate a change, but the rotation is planned out ahead of time.

Cassidy said that the plan was to give goaltender Adin Hill two of the first three to begin the season, then roll with Samsonov.

With the Knights (2-0-0) playing their third game in five nights before starting a three-game East Coast road trip Tuesday, the timing worked out to give Samsonov the nod.

“New team, new fans. Everything is new for me,” Samsonov said. “A little nervous, for sure, but I feel confident. I know I worked hard in the summer, and I feel good in my mind, too, which is important.”

There are high expectations for the 27-year-old Russian goaltender.

Samsonov signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal on July 1 to be the Knights’ new backup. The decision came after the Knights traded Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals on June 29.

It’s a low-risk, high-reward signing. Samsonov is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. Though he won 23 of 40 starts with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he had career-worsts in save percentage (.890) and goals against (3.13).

Those numbers were worse early on. Samsonov’s save percentage was at .862, and he was slightly under 4.00 goals against when he was placed on waivers Dec. 31.

Samsonov admitted to struggling mentally at the time. He more than bounced back when he returned to the NHL club, going 16-7-5 the rest of the way with a .918 save percentage and 2.39 goals against.

‘Stronger now’

Samsonov said he worked hard with psychologists for the first two months after getting called back up. He’s since cleared his mental hurdles and says everything is in the past.

“I just needed to come back from the mental stuff. I don’t think about that stuff anymore,” Samsonov said. “I know how to fight this. I’m more stronger now.”

Samsonov played well in his two preseason appearances, despite losses to the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, giving up five total goals.

The Knights haven’t needed a complete defensive game to start the season. Offense, particularly from their top line, has carried them with 12 goals through six periods — one of those goals being an empty-netter.

Cassidy said high scoring can be common early in the season because teams are trying to find their forechecking identity. That has allowed the Knights to capitalize on their chances.

‘Continue to work’

Cassidy added it’s imperative for goaltenders to play a simpler game when transitioning to a new system, especially one as goalie-friendly as the Knights’.

“We’re trying not to let the puck change sides. Make the save that’s in front of you and not worry so much about what’s going on in those east-west plays,” Cassidy said. “We expect our goalie to be big and squared to those shots and not start to think they have to cheat (to react).”

Cassidy said having bigger goaltenders, as is the case for the 6-foot-3-inch Samsonov, helps in those situations.

That’s what will be asked of Samsonov on Sunday — to play a simple game against a Ducks team that is on the second night of a back-to-back after facing the San Jose Sharks in their season opener Saturday.

Nerves are normal. But after a few shots, Samsonov said, he’ll be ready to go.

“We’ll see what’s going on,” Samsonov said. “I’m just trying to stay in the moment, enjoy today. Tomorrow’s a new day, and we’ll continue to work.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.