Why the Edmonton Oilers should make a move for Ilya Samsonov

It's been coming for a few weeks and the news today that the Maple Leafs decided to place beleaguered goaltender Ilya Samsonov on waivers.

Samsonov has not been able to replicate his numbers from last season as he was instrumental in the Leafs having a strong regular season and helping the team to get over the hump in the playoffs beating the Lightning in the first round.


As Elliotte Friedman states, he will be off the ice and not playing for the week with the Marlies. Certainly, the Leafs continue to work with him with goalie coach Curtis Sanford to see what can be done. This presents teams looking for goalies with an interesting prospect.


A team like the Oilers would be one that could benefit. Firstly, Samsonov has shown that he can turn his game around quickly with a new team. He won 27 games with the Leafs after spending a few seasons with the Washington Capitals.

During last year's campaign he had a record of 27-10-5 in 42 games. He had a 2.33 GAA and a save percentage of .919.

Secondly, he was only retained for one year at 3.55 million for this year. With the Oilers looking for a capable backup to help Stuart Skinner with playoff experience, he would fit the bill as he outdueled Andrei Vasilevskiy who is by far the best goalie in the business and gave the Leafs their first playoff series win in years.

There would be some cap changes that would need to come into play to fit his contract, but a GM like Ken Holland would find a way to make it work. If the Oilers could find a way to move a contract like Cody Ceci's, the math would work perfectly.

We will have to see if the Oilers will bite or pass. Samsonov clearly needs a change of scenery and in the meantime, he will await his fate.