Washington Capitals re-sign goalie Ilya Samsonov to $2M deal for 2021-22
The Daily Goal Horn
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The Washington Capitals re-signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $2 million contract on Monday.
Samsonov, 24, posted a record of 13-4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.69 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 19 games last season.
He went 0-3 during the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2.99 GAA and .899 save percentage.
Samsonov was 16-6-2 with a shutout, a 2.55 GAA and a .913 save percentage during his rookie season in 2019-20.
The Capitals selected the Russian with their first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Capitals traded for Vitek Vanecek after losing him in expansion
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek, whom the Seattle Kraken originally chose in last week’s expansion draft, was traded back to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2023 draft.
The Kraken executed the trade hours after signing free agent goaltender Philipp Grubauer — ironically, also a former Capital — to a six-year, $35.4 million deal during the start of NHL free agency.
The Capitals sent Seattle the draft pick that originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets. They acquired the Jets’ pick earlier this week when they traded defenseman Brenden Dillon to Winnipeg.
Vanecek, a 25-year-old from the Czech Republic, started 36 games for Washington as a rookie last season and went 21-10-4 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average. He finished in sixth place in voting for the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s award for rookie of the year.
The two goalies will battle for the starting job.
–Field Level Media