Samsonov signs one-year, $2 million contract with Capitals

Ilya Samsonov signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Washington Capitals on Monday.

The 24-year-old goalie was a restricted free agent after going 13-4-1 with a 2.69 goals-against average, .902 save percentage and two shutouts in 19 regular-season games (18 starts) last season, which included two stints in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
Samsonov, who went 0-3 with a 2.99 GAA and an .899 save percentage in three Stanley Cup Playoff games, made 40 saves in his return in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round before a miscommunication with Capitals defenseman Justin Schultz led to the winning goal in a 3-2 double-overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. Washington lost the series in five games.
Selected by Washington in the first round (No. 22) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Samsonov is 29-10-3 with a 2.61 GAA, .908 save percentage and three shutouts in 45 regular-season games (40 starts).
He was second in wins (16) and fourth in GAA (2.55) among rookies in 2019-20 (minimum 10 games).

The Capitals re-acquired goalie Vitek Vanecek from the Seattle Kraken on July 28 after he was selected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21.
The 25-year-old was 21-10-4 with a 2.69 GAA, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 37 games (36 starts) last season, his first the NHL, and led rookies in wins. He played in one playoff game before he was injured and missed the remainder of the postseason.
Selected by Washington in the second round (No. 39) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Vanecek has one season remaining on a three-year contract he signed with Washington on July 1, 2019.
Goalie Craig Anderson, who played in four regular-season games and two postseason games with Washington last season, signed a one-year, $750000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres on July 28.
The Capitals previously re-signed forward Alex Ovechkin to a
five-year, $47.5 million contract
($9.5 million average annual value) on July 27.