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Ilya Samsonov made $2 million last season

Ilya Samsonov, who made $2 million last season, has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Russian goaltender will be the backup goaltender for the Leafs next season. The news was first reported by Arthur Staple and Frank Seravalli of NHL.com.

Samsonov, 25, is a restricted free agent, so he wasn’t guaranteed to stay in the NHL. After his rookie year, he had a difficult one, as he split starts with Vitek Vanecek. His numbers were also down from his impressive rookie season.

Samsonov was a restricted free agent and did not qualify for arbitration. This new contract is a “bridge” deal, and is based on his past performance. Samsonov was a first-round pick of the Washington Capitals, but his tenure with the team has been inconsistent. In fact, he has twice been placed on the NHL’s COVID protocol.

Samsonov was originally expected to be the Capitals’ starting goaltender, but injuries forced him to share the role with Vitek Vanecek. Ultimately, Samsonov played 19 games for the Capitals in the 2020-21 season, posting a 13-4-1 record with a 2.69 goals-against average. He made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut against the Boston Bruins and stopped 40 of 43 shots. However, the Capitals lost three of three games he played in.

Ilya Samsonov could still re-sign with Washington

Ilya Samsonov could still sign with the Capitals if he meets the salary cap. Although he will be a UFA on Wednesday, he could still re-sign with the team. The Russian had been a restricted free agent and was expected to land an AAV over $3 million.

The Capitals have several options in the goaltending market. They could trade Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey for draft picks and keep Ilya Samsonov. This decision will depend on the salary cap situation for both players and their performance. While Vanecek’s next deal is estimated at $3 million AAV, Samsonov’s next deal is projected to be between two and three million dollars per year.

Samsonov’s performance last season was less than stellar. He ranked 62nd in the league in goals saved above average per 60 minutes. He was also the goaltender of record in three of the Capitals’ four losses in the playoffs.

Even if Samsonov’s future is uncertain, the team still has a lot of cap space to work with. Samsonov’s one-year contract leaves the Capitals with over $1.4 million in cap space. They could also add Martin Fehervary’s $791,667 cap hit to that space.

The Capitals had intended to qualify Samsonov for arbitration last week but ended up offloading him to New Jersey. The Capitals’ move to unload the goaltender to New Jersey is a sign that the Darcy Kuemper deal is nearly done.

Ilya Samsonov has arbitration rights

If the Toronto Maple Leafs want to keep Samsonov, they should consider signing him to a four-year, $4.4 million deal. The goalie is 25 years old, coming into his prime, and should be paid accordingly. However, the team does not have the salary-cap space to spend on him. The organization is content with Murray as the starter and one of the two youngsters as a back-up.

Samsonov, who was signed with a qualifying tender offer in 2013, was expected to make $3-3.5 million next season. The team was hoping to trade him for an established No. 1 goalie, but did not want to pay him $6 million per year. The team believed he was worth less than that, and therefore re-signing him was not the right move. In the end, it was the Capitals’ decision to waive Samsonov’s arbitration rights.

Samsonov’s arbitration rights are set to expire in 2022-23. This means he could still re-sign with the Capitals. The team could have offered him $3 million per season, but opted against it. The Washington Capitals believe Samsonov can command upwards of $3.5 million per season.

Samsonov had a stellar start to his NHL career, going 16-6-2 in 22 starts as a rookie. However, he had a less than stellar second season. After the trade of Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey, the Capitals suddenly needed a backup goalie to take over in his absence.