When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million contract last summer, the premise was that he'd be comfortable in a goaltender-friendly system. A former backup goaltender made the job look easy, so why can't a Russian netminder?
He might've had a GAA of 3.13 and a save percentage of .890 in 2023-24. Plus, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't known for having the best goaltending. Still, you must give the man a chance to prove himself. It's a long 82-game regular season.
Well, it was an interesting season of highs and lows for Samsonov. For one, he had a GAA of 2.82 and a save percentage of .891. But he got a shutout, at least! Heck, he got two shutouts for his troubles.
That must mean something in today's world when you get two shutouts in a goaltender-friendly system. After all, Golden Knights fans tend to be a forgiving bunch...
...That is, unless you leave them worried about Adin Hill being injured. Then it's a different ballgame. Luckily, it's time for a little assessment to see how Samsonov did in his brief stay in Las Vegas. Which performances stood out? Where was he the most abysmal? I'm looking at this based on two games I attended... With Samsonov in net.
Best performance: October 13 against Anaheim
Aside from a Troy Terry breakaway goal, Samsonov was great here. He stopped 22 of 23 shots and kept cool throughout the game. Mind you, this was also a time when Adin Hill got off to a rough start and the 28-year-old started well.
This was also a game where it took Vegas until the third period to pull away. When you're struggling to put up an attack, it helps to have a solid goaltender performance to lead the way (boy, I bet the Golden Knights were wishing for that in the second round, eh?).
Yes, fans can point to his performance on March 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The same can be said for his 31-save shutout against Calgary. However, this shows how vital the Russian goaltender can be when he's on his game.
Worst performance: November 30 against Utah
Take your pick among the many duds the Russian netminder had. But the one that stood out to me the most was against the Utah Hockey Club (now the Mammoth). Samsonov allowed four first-period goals in this game, including this dud.
THIS. This right here is the Ilya Samsonov experience. Misplaying the puck to an open Alexander Kerfoot was what Golden Knights fans were accustomed to seeing throughout the season. Utah had a field day on that fateful night, scoring six goals en route to a shutout.
Believe it or not, that was the first Golden Knights game I left early. All of this was because of Samsonov's poor judgment, which became a recurring theme throughout the season.
Credit to Utah for being on top of their game that night and exposing a bad goaltender. But this was what you're getting when you pay for a backup goalie for nearly $2 million.
There was a reason why Vegas Golden Knights fans were constantly worried about Adin Hill throughout the season. What would've happened if the starting goaltender was injured just before the playoffs? Fans remembered what happened against the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild.
Heck, the Golden Knights would've been swept by the Wild if Samsonov was starting. There was no way he would've stopped Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy from running wild. That has been the seasonal case for the 28-year-old, who played the ice like he was greased up with baby oil. The result? Akira Schmid surpassed him for the No. 2 spot.