Knights face uncertainty with goaltending after signing Samsonov

Next season just became important for the Golden Knights’ goaltending department.

Not just for 2025, but beyond.

The Knights shook up their netminder situation in the span of 48 hours, starting with the trade of Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

They followed that by signing former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million deal on Monday.

Samsonov, 27, is coming off the worst season of his career. The Russian posted career-worsts in save percentage (.890) and goals against (3.13) despite going 23-7-8 in 40 starts.

Part of that is attributed to Toronto’s defensive structure. The Maple Leafs went from fifth in goals allowed in 2023 to 21st last season. Samsonov, in turn, fell far from the best season of his career two years ago (2.33 GAA, .919 save percentage).

It reached the point that Samsonov was placed on waivers Dec. 31, two days after giving up six goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He rebounded to go 18-5-2 in his final 25 starts, lowering the goals against to 2.70 with a .904 save percentage.

Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said goaltending coach Sean Burke and manager of goaltending development Mike Rosati felt there were plenty of positives in Samsonov’s game to take a flier on him.

It was a similar mindset and conversation, McCrimmon said, to when the Knights acquired Adin Hill in August 2022 from the San Jose Sharks.

That worked out well, with Hill leading the Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023. They hope it’s the same with Samsonov.

“We did a lot of work on our goaltending,” McCrimmon said. “Sean feels (Samsonov’s) a real good goaltender that had a down year and is a perfect guy to bet on and bring in.”

Samsonov is a former first-round pick — No. 22 to the Capitals in 2015 — so the upside is there.

The risk, however, can’t be ignored.

Risk involved

Going from Thompson to Samsonov on the heels of Thompson playing some of the best hockey of his career will be something to keep an eye on this season.

Thompson went 8-2-0 down the stretch last season and earned the right to start Game 1 of the first round against the Dallas Stars. He pushed the Knights to a 2-0 series lead, then a 2-2 split, at no fault of his own.

Switching to Hill in Game 5 didn’t cost the Knights, who eventually lost in seven games, but it was still a surprise at the time.

Samsonov now gets a prove-it deal to rebound from a rough end in Toronto. He could be the latest goalie to benefit from coach Bruce Cassidy’s goalie-friendly defensive system, one that worked for Hill, Thompson, Jonathan Quick and Laurent Brossoit before him.

But the unknown of what Samsonov can provide makes it risky if he’s called upon for extended time.

Hill appeared in a career-high 35 games last season, but a lower-body injury kept him out for most of December and January. Nagging injuries have been a problem for Hill dating back to missing the final month of the 2023 season.

“It was frustrating. It was the third year in a row I’ve had a bit of injury problems,” Hill said May 7. “Nobody wants to be injured. It sucks seeing your team battle without you. You kind of feel helpless in a way. I’m trying to make sure I do everything I can this summer to make sure I’m injury-free next season. Just trying to uncover every stone to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Decision coming

It’s not just Hill’s health that comes into focus. It’s his future with the Knights.

Hill is entering the final year of the two-year, $9.8 million extension he signed in June 2023. The Knights will have to decide whether Hill is worthy of a long-term commitment beyond this season.

Not because of his play. But how long he’s been off the ice.

McCrimmon said he believed in the 1-1A platoon for goalies. There’s a definitive No. 1 now in Hill. There was a potential 1A in Thompson, who felt he was a No. 1, who’s no longer there.

Now it’s a matter if the Knights have a worthy 1A.

The Knights are banking on a $1.8 million investment — a near $1.1 million increase from what the Knights paid Thompson ($766,667) — for a goaltender coming off the worst year of his career to relieve a Cup-winning goalie who has an injury history.

The pressure is on Hill to show he can stay available, because it’s unclear what the Knights have in Samsonov until further notice.

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