Oilers could look to bring in former Maple Leafs goalie on specialty contract
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
The Edmonton Oilers could look to bring in former Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov into training camp on a tryout contract.
Most recently, Oilers insiders have linked the team to watching the waiver wire for goalies who would be cheaply available - but there is one more option on the free agent market.
Oilers analyst links Edmonton to signing former Leaf Ilya Samsonov to tryout contract
After two tough seasons with Vegas and Toronto, picking up the former first round draft pick would be considered a reclamation project. However, looking at MoneyPuck's Goals Saved Above Expected metric, Samsonov still ranks better than both Skinner and Pickard.
With the Oilers still looking for a new goalie, one analyst has suggested inviting Samsonov to training camp on a tryout contract.
Where Samsonov stood above Pickard statistically was in goals saved above expected. According to moneypuck.com, the Russian netminder had 0.6 goals saved above expected, while Pickard was much lower at -9.1. He ranked higher than Skinner, too, who finished at -1.5.
- Liam Horrobin, OilersNation
- Liam Horrobin, OilersNation
According to experts at AFP Analytics, Samsonov is roughly worth a $2M annual salary. Clearly no other NHL team believes he's worth that amount, as Samsonov remains unsigned.
Though he has struggled in recent years, Samsonov has had brief periods of success in the NHL, and is still only 28 years old.
The Oilers could look to bring Samsonov into training camp on a no-risk PTO, and see how he can perform within their system in preseason. If he fares well and proves to be an upgrade on Pickard, he can sign a cheap deal in Edmonton - or even draw interest from another team.
Bringing Samsonov into camp on a tryout offer would be a very interesting move for the Oilers. If the Russian goalie is looking for a bounce back in a quality environment with a chance to win, Edmonton is the best place for him.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 31 | 368 ANSWERS Oilers could look to bring in former Maple Leafs goalie on specialty contract Do you think the Edmonton Oilers should sign Ilya Samsonov to a tryout contract? | ||
| Yes | 270 | 73.4 % |
| No | 98 | 26.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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