Sharks Add Goalie Depth, Sign Former Capitals 2015 1st-Rounder

The San Jose Sharks signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced on Tuesday.

Samsonov, 29, is returning to North America after spending the 25-26 season in the KHL. The Washington Capitals selected the new Sharks goalie with the 22nd pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Samsonov had a strong start to his career, but injuries and inconsistent play led him to bounce around the league. He eventually went to the KHL.

Samsonov spent two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and one with the Vegas Golden Knights. In his final NHL season, Samsonov had a 16-9-4 record. Although the record was nice, the numbers didn’t back it up too much. In 29 games, all starts, the new Sharks goalie had an .891 save % and a 2.82 GAA. For his career, Samsonov has a .902 save % in 200 games.

The move by the San Jose Sharks may come as a bit of a surprise. GM Mike Grier addressed the organization’s goalie depth by signing Eric Comrie to a two-year contract on July 1st.

One thing has been clear with the Sharks since Grier took over: internal competition. That could be the motive behind signing Samsonov. Plus, as a former first-round pick, there could be some more potential to be unlocked. Sharks goalie coach/guru Thomas Speer has a history of goalie reclamation projects. The best two examples are Mackenzie Blackwood and Devin Cooley, both of whom have received nice extensions with the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames, respectively.

Another reason for this move could be to protect against the Sharks losing a goalie on waivers. There is no reason to suggest that the team won’t start with Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic as its two goalies. Training camp begins next week, and unless there is an unknown injury to one of them, Samsonov looks like he’d be headed to waivers with Comrie.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks have been linked to Winnipeg Jets superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck. While there is no confirmed interest, many hockey pundits believe that the Sharks could be a nice landing spot for the gold medalist. Based on Grier’s history of trade talks, he’s likely checked in on the price for Hellebuyck, but that is NOT confirmed.

While unlikely, the signing of Samsonov could give the Sharks more depth at goalie if they were to put together a package for Hellebuyck. At this moment, SHD doesn’t believe the Sharks will go after Hellebuyck. The organization thinks highly of Askarov, and Joshua Ravensburgen’s potential is also well documented.