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Former Maple Leafs Goaltender Ilya Samsonov Leaves NHL, Signs With KHL Side HC Sochi
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- Former Maple Leafs Goaltender Ilya Samsonov Leaves NHL, Signs With KHL Side HC Sochi
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov is headed back home to Russia.
The 28-year-old has signed a two-year contract with KHL side HC Sochi, the league announced on Saturday . Samsonov spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights , finishing the year with a 16-9-4 record and an .891 save percentage through 29 games.
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Samsonov had only signed a one-year contract with the Golden Knights , meaning he was a free agent this past summer. No NHL teams signed the goaltender who has spent the last six seasons in the league, thus leading him to return to Russia.
Not only was Samsonov drafted in the first round (22nd overall) by the Washington Capitals , but he was the first goaltender selected in the 2015 draft class . The next goaltender selected was Mackenzie Blackwood at 42nd overall by the New Jersey Devils .
Samsonov got his first chance with the Capitals during the 2019-20 season after spending the year prior in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. The goaltender posted a .913 save percentage through 26 games in his first NHL season.
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Over the next two seasons, his save percentage dropped, leading to the Capitals not qualifying him as a restricted free agent. That meant he hit the open market in 2022, where the Maple Leafs signed him to a one-year, $1.8 million deal.
After a strong first season with Toronto , Samsonov (an RFA again) and the team were unable to agree on a new contract, leading the two sides to arbitration. Eventually, the netminder was awarded a one-year deal worth $3.55 million .
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The Magnitogorsk, Russia-born goaltender played 82 games over two seasons with the Maple Leafs, finishing his tenure with a 50-17-13 record and a .905 save percentage.
Samsonov also appeared in 14 postseason games with the Maple Leafs, winning five games while posting a .897 save percentage. He was the starting goaltender for Toronto's first-round series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
In 200 career NHL regular season games with the Capitals, Maple Leafs, and Golden Knights, Samsonov posted a 188-118-48 record and a .902 save percentage. He had a .901 save percentage through 22 playoff games with Toronto and Washington.
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