The Toronto Maple Leafs locked in goaltender Ilya Samsonov on a one-year contract worth $1.8 million.
Samsonov struggled this past season, posting an .896 save percentage while going 23-12-5 in 44 games for the Washington Capitals.
The 25-year-old will complete the Leafs’ new tandem in the crease alongside Matt Murray, who Toronto traded for on Monday. General manager Kyle Dubas said the competition for the club’s starting goalie role next season is “wide-open,” according to The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke.
Samsonov was once a promising prospect but didn’t consistently play up to his potential during his Capitals tenure. The Russian repeatedly failed to grab the No. 1 role and authored a .902 save percentage over his three-season stint in the U.S. capital.
Washington drafted Samsonov 22nd overall in 2015.
Smirfitts Speech 