Sharks sign Ilya Samsonov to one-year contract
A familiar name is returning to the NHL.
On Tuesday, San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier announced that the team has signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.
The deal’s financial terms have yet to be revealed. It’s going to be tough for Samsonov to find a spot on the main roster this month, as Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic are expected to be the Sharks’ duo at the start of the season.
Samsonov comes back to North America after spending the 2025-26 season in his native Russia. After playing for the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2024-25 campaign, the Magnitogorsk native signed with HK Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League. The veteran backstop appeared in 14 games, posting a 3-8-0 record, a 3.27 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout. His play did little to help a struggling Sochi squad, which finished dead last in the KHL with a 16-2-8-42 record, one of the worst records in league history.
At one point, Samsonov was projected to be a solid starting goaltender in the NHL. Following the departure of Braden Holtby in 2020, Samsonov was expected to eventually be molded into the No. 1 guy with the Washington Capitals. However, inconsistency and a criticized work ethic led to him falling out of favor, eventually leading him to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 2022. While he played in over half the games in 2022-23, Samsonov was surpassed by a young Joseph Woll in that year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, which saw the Leafs fall to the Florida Panthers in the second round.
Samsonov’s play took a dip the following season, but he was still the starting netminder when Toronto faced off against the Boston Bruins in Round 1. Once again, Samsonov’s struggles led to Woll being thrust into the spotlight. However, Samsonov got the start in the seventh game after Woll was ruled out due to injury. Samsonov played well, but the Leafs lost to the Bruins in overtime.
Samsonov then joined the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer of 2024, and was a decent backup behind Adin Hill. He went 16-9-4 in 29 starts, with a 2.82 GAA, a .891 SV% and two shutouts.
In 200 career regular-season games in the NHL, Samsonov has a record of 118-48-25, with a 2.77 GAA, a .902 SV% and 13 shutouts. He’s 6-14 in 22 postseason appearances, with a 3.05 GAA and a .901 SV%.
