Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) makes a save against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/677e26a0-d7a6-4fed-9734-ece81854650a.jpeg] Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) makes a save against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Goaltender Ilya Samsonov will not return to the Vegas Golden Knights and will test the free agency waters, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/ilya-samsonov-testing-free-agency-in-thin-goalie-market/] The Golden Knights signed Samsonov to a one-year-, $1.8M contract last offseason after a disappointing season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Golden Knights were hoping for a bounce-back season from the Russian netminder, but his struggles were much of the same. In his lone season with the Golden Knights, Samsonov posted a .891 SP and a 2.82 GAA in 29 games, losing his job as the backup netminder by the playoffs. The market for unrestricted free-agent goaltenders is very thin this season, and it's understandable why Samsonov would like to test free agency to see what he can earn on the open market. At 28 years old, there could be several teams that believe Samsonov can turn his career around and form a tandem with another goalie. Even if Samsonov had an interest in returning to Vegas, the Golden Knights may likely have wanted to move on anyway. The Golden Knights appear to be gearing up for a pursuit of a top free agent, with all signs pointing to Mitch Marner [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/latest-news/mitch-marner-and-golden-knights-situation-becoming-clearer-as-free-agent-window-approaches]. If they can work out a deal, they'll need to save every dollar they can, which is why they could be looking at a goalie tandem of Adin Hill and Akira Schmid next season. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/latest-news/can-akira-schmid-serve-as-the-backup-goaltender-or-should-the-golden-knights-look-elsewhere] “To me, it was a missed opportunity because I felt our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon told reporters upon elimination. “We’ve got Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, and Ilya Samsonov with expiring contracts on June 30. “There’s a really good case to be made for a lot of those players. I think they played well here for us. So, we’ll make those decisions. And then depending on how that goes, that can dictate to some extent what you do on July 1 with free agency. But we’re going to do everything we can to make our team better.” Including Samsonov, Reilly Smith [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/golden-knights-pending-free-agent-hoping-to-stay-in-vegas], Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad wrap up the Golden Knights' UFA list this offseason. Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwiNvfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
