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Ilya Samsonov

Capitals Notes: New Coach, Samsonov, Holtby, Ovechkin

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After the Washington Capitals announced they had fired head coach Todd Reirden earlier today, general manager Brian MacLellan answered a number of questions about the team, particularly about the head coaching change. With so much criticism being directed at Capitals ownership and management about their unwillingness to spend money on a veteran head coach (they have hired first-time coaches in five of their last six hires), MacLellan admitted the team will definitely look at a coach with some experience.

“I think we need an experienced coach,” said MacLellan (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti and ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “We have an experienced group. I think we had a good culture here and it’s starting to slip … I think we’ve developed a habit of thinking that we can play good when we have to play good, rather than developing good habits.”

That could open up the team to go after one of the many experienced and successful coaches that became available during the 2020-21 season, including Gerard Gallant, Mike Babcock, Peter Laviolette and Bruce Boudreau.

MacLellan also said that he was disappointed two years ago that the Capitals and (former head coach) Barry Trotz couldn’t come to an agreement after they won the Stanley Cup in 2018. He added that the team was willing to pay Trotz market value, but failed to agree on term.

The GM added that the team is in no rush to hire a head coach and will take their time to find the best possible candidate, according to Gulitti. Nothing has been determined regarding Reirden’s assistant coaches either.

  • The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who didn’t go to Toronto with the team due to an off-ice injury, has been getting therapy for his injury for six weeks and the team is expected to evaluate him in two weeks to see how he’s doing. The Capitals expect him to be ready for the 2020-21 season. The 23-year-old looks to be the goaltender of the future after an impressive rookie season in which he sported a 2.55 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 26 games.
  • MacLellan, at the press conference, also admitted that the Capitals chances of bringing back starting goaltender Braden Holtby is “going to be difficult,” according to Wyshynski. However, he also admits that nothing has been decided about the 30-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Holtby didn’t fare well during the regular season with Washington, posting a 3.11 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 48 games. However, he did fare somewhat better during the playoffs with a 2.49 GAA and a .906 save percentage in eight appearances.
  • Gulitti also notes that MacLellan said that he isn’t that concerned about extension talks with star forward Alex Ovechkin. The GM said he will talk to Ovechkin when players arrive at training camp later this year. The soon-to-be 35-year-old is still playing at top form, scoring 48 goals during the shortened regular season as well as another four goals in the team’s eight playoff games. He has one year remaining on his 13-year, $124MM deal that he signed back in 2008.

Ilya Samsonov Injured, Did Not Pass Physical

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If Braden Holtby wants to improve his free agent stock, here’s his chance. Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters today including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that Ilya Samsonov suffered an off-ice injury in Russia during the pause and failed his physical after returning to North America. Pell tweets that Samsonov “should be good to go for the start of next season.”

An injury to Samsonov makes a tough decision for the team as to who will start in their round-robin. Holtby obviously has the experience and was the goaltender who helped carry the team to a Stanley Cup in 2018, but is also coming off his worst season as a professional. The 30-year old goaltender posted just an .897 save percentage in 48 appearances, seeing his goals-against average balloon to 3.11.

That kind of performance paled in comparison to the .913 save percentage that Samsonov recorded in his first year in the NHL, when he went 16-6-2 in 26 appearances. The 23-year old netminder was simply better than Holtby and likely would have pushed for a chance to take the net in the playoffs.

This week in their exhibition game, the Capitals had Vitek Vanacek serve as the backup for Holtby but they also have Pheonix Copley who played 27 games for them in 2018-19. They’ll have options should Holtby struggle, but not ones quite as exciting as Samsonov.

Ilya Samsonov Out For The Postseason

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One of the more notable absences during training camp has been Washington goaltender Ilya Samsonov.  It turns out that his injury that was suffered before camp will be enough to hold him out for the entire postseason as the team announced to reporters, including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that he will remain in Washington to undergo treatment and was not on the playoff-eligible roster that was submitted on Friday.

That means that veteran Braden Holtby will be the starter this postseason.  The veteran is coming off the worst statistical season of his career as he posted a 3.11 GAA with a .897 SV% in 48 appearances for the Caps.  Those numbers are below the league average for a backup let alone a starter.  That had presented the possibility that Samsonov, their goalie of the future, would get a chance to play in the playoffs but that’s clearly not an option now.

This will give Holtby one last chance to boost his value before hitting the open market in October as an unrestricted free agent.  Given the cap crunch and Samsonov’s presence, it seems quite unlikely that the Capitals will be able to retain him this summer.

Meanwhile, the Capitals will likely use these next two weeks to determine who will serve as Holtby’s backup.  Pheonix Copley, last year’s backup, is the presumptive favorite while Vitek Vanecek, who had the better numbers this season with AHL Hershey, is also in the mix.

Washington has also made their final cuts to get down to the 31-player roster.  Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that forwards Shane Gersich and Garrett Pilon are the ones that will not participate in the postseason.  Both players played exclusively in the AHL this season.

Metropolitan Notes: Murray, Samsonov, Hamilton

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have a choice to make in net when they head into the 24-team playoff, deciding whether to use Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry as their starter. Though he admits it is the coach’s decision, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of The Athletic that he believes Murray will be the choice after seeing how well the more experienced netminder performed in this week’s practices.

Murray, 26, is only a year older than Jarry but has the added benefit of two Stanley Cups and 48 playoff games under his belt. The 6’4″ netminder struggled mightily this season, however, posting an .899 save percentage. Jarry meanwhile put up a .921 and was selected to the All-Star game, but has never appeared in the postseason. The Penguins will start things off with a qualification round against the Montreal Canadiens.

  • There is another interesting goaltending situation to keep an eye on in the Metropolitan Division, and that’s what is happening in Washington. The Capitals still haven’t gotten a single practice out of young star netminder Ilya Samsonov, who has been “unfit to play” for the entire training camp so far. When asked, head coach Todd Reirden wouldn’t comment on whether Samsonov will be traveling with the team to Toronto in a few days as the Capitals enter the “bubble.” For now, Braden Holtby remains the default choice as starter for Washington despite his own struggles—to the tune of an .897 save percentage—this season.
  • After leaving practice yesterday, Dougie Hamilton was absent again for the Carolina Hurricanes this morning. The defenseman was in “visible discomfort” when leaving yesterday according to team reporter Michael Smith, who also notes that the Hurricanes are already missing Brett Pesce thanks to his shoulder surgery in March. While Pesce hasn’t been ruled out completely from participating in the playoffs, Hamilton was expected to be back to full strength after missing the last two months of the regular season. Given the league’s policy on not giving out injury information, there’s no way of telling what exactly happened to Hamilton or how long he’ll be out.

Goalie Notes: Fleury, Holtby, Lundqvist

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The Vegas Golden Knights will presumably embark on a four-team round-robin to determine playoff seeding whenever play resumes. Given that it’s unlikely any team will play in front of a home crowd, the seeding doesn’t have quite the same impact as most years. Nonetheless, the mini-tournament will be an import return to play. For the Golden Knights, that means solidifying certain roster decisions, such as determining who is going to be in goal come playoff time. Peter DeBoer will be working with GM Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee to make final roster decisions, per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger. Marc-Andre Fleury is a living legend who led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, but time makes a mockery of us all, and just two years later, he could lose his starting gig to midseason acquisition Robin Lehner. Both netminders are likely to get a start during the round-robin phase, but it’s still probably Fleury’s job to lose, given his veteran status both in the league and on this particular team.

  • In Washington, Caps’ coach Todd Reirden spoke with a number of reporters, including JJ Regan of NBC Sports, who reported that Braden Holtby will be in net – at least for now. Ilya Samsonov stands by should Holtby struggle. Holtby started 47 games this season to just 22 for the rookie Samsonov, but with Holtby’s .897 save percentage versus .913 save percentage for Samsonov, there’s at the question whether the Caps would be better off with the youngster in goal. The Caps are hoping for a better playoff result than last year’s disappointing first-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It wasn’t exactly the title defense Alex Ovechkin and company had planned, but the Caps will get another chance to make good in the playoffs this season. They’ll need Holtby at his finest to make a run.
  • In another potential changing of the guard, the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist landed on a list of potential buyout candidates this offseason from Sean Leahy of NBC Sports. There’s no doubt that Lundqvist is expensive next season with a cap hit of $8.5MM, but it’s difficult to imagine Rangers games without the Swede minding the net. Still, even if the Rangers deem apparent successor Igor Shesterkin to be ready, they’d still have to buyout Lundqvist for $5.5MM, which might not present enough savings to make the move worthwhile, not when they’d still need a second goalie. Alexander Georgiev, 24, is the other piece of this puzzle, the primary backup for the last couple of seasons and a restricted free agent this offseason.

Washington Capitals Extend AHL Affiliation

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The Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears will be back together for several more years. The two organizations have announced a new affiliation agreement that runs through 2023-24. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan released a statement:

We have enjoyed our long-lasting partnership with the Hershey Bears and are excited to extend our affiliation. Hershey has a tremendous history within the American Hockey League. They are well-run and a first-class organization. We believe the franchise’s winning culture provides our prospects with the best opportunity to develop.

The two teams have been affiliated for the last 15 years, during which Hershey has experienced an incredible amount of success. They have made the playoffs in 12 of the affiliated seasons while winning three Calder Cup championships.

Washington too has experienced a ton of success, as they continue to develop and produce quality NHL talent from their pipeline in Hershey. A huge portion of the 2019-20 roster has spent at least some time with the Bears.

One of the best examples of the partnership perhaps is with Ilya Samsonov, the Capitals young star goaltender. Already three years into his professional career in Russia, Samsonov came over this season and was originally assigned to the minor leagues. There’s no doubt that the structure and success of Hershey helped convince him to spend some time there, getting his feet wet before making his breakthrough into the NHL.

Hershey continues to lead the AHL in attendance, drawing over 8,700 fans per game this season.

Washington Capitals Make Several Roster Moves

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With Garnet Hathaway expected to get some sort of suspension for his spitting incident, the Washington Capitals needed to make some roster moves. Today, the team has recalled Beck Malenstyn, Michael Sgarbossa, Tyler Lewington and Ilya Samsonov while returning Vitek Vanecek to the minor leagues. These moves are designed to give them depth options and maximize the amount of salary cap relief available when they placed Carl Hagelin on long-term injured reserve. Nic Dowd, who was also a potential candidate for the LTIR list, has been placed on regular injured reserve.

With Nicklas Backstrom also set to miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury, the Capitals will likely be without four of their regular forwards should Hathaway get suspended. That leaves quite the opening for some of these younger players to get an opportunity.

This is one of the biggest problems with spending right up to the cap, as Washington has to deal with tricky CBA machinations just to fill their roster each night. Injuries and suspensions only complicate the matter further. Hagelin will now be out until at least December 2nd.

Minor Transactions: 11/16/19

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It’s a very busy Saturday in the NHL today as 30 of 31 teams are in action with Columbus being the lone squad with a night off following their overtime victory over St. Louis last night.  There is only one other time where that will happen this season and that’s on April 4th (where Columbus will once again be the only squad not playing).  There will likely be plenty of roster movement around the league as a result of the 15 games on the schedule and we’ll keep track of those here.

  • The Penguins announced that they have recalled center Joseph Blandisi from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. This will be his second stint with Pittsburgh this season after he collected a goal and an assist in a seven-game stint last month.  The 25-year-old has played in 87 games over his NHL career and has been reasonably productive overall in that span with 28 points under his belt.  To make room for Blandisi on the roster, the team has transferred Sidney Crosby to injured reserve as he’s expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this week.
  • With Washington only having enough cap room to dress 11 forwards (with seven defensemen) last night, they’ve announced some roster shuffling to get them a 12th forward.  Blueliner Tyler Lewington and goalie Ilya Samsonov have been assigned to Hershey (AHL) while center Travis Boyd and goalie Vitek Vanecek have been recalled.  Samsonov has fared well with the Capitals this season but makes a bit over $200K more than Vanecek so sending him down temporarily at least gives them the short-term ability to dress the usual number of forwards.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have activated defenseman Connor Murphy off of long-term injured reserve. The 26-year-old blueliner has been out 11 games with a groin injury, but is ready to return to action Saturday against the Predators. Murphy has no points in six games this season, but should help the team’s defense.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have assigned defenseman Kevin Connauton to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Connauton was recalled Tuesday and played Thursday against Edmonton where he played 17:14.

Snapshots: Capitals, World Juniors, CBA Talks

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Two of the biggest names among impending unrestricted free agents belong to the Washington Capitals. Long-time cornerstone Caps and Stanley Cup winners Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby will both see their current contracts expire this summer, barring an extension before then. Yet, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there has been little in the way of contract talks between Washington and either Backstrom or Holtby. LeBrun states that the team has decided to be patient with the decisions, letting the season play out as a way to better gauge their needs moving forward. He adds that the team is on the same page with both camps in this regard as well. It could be that the team waits through the whole season before making a call on Backstrom and Holtby, taking both individual and team performances into account. Thus far, Holtby, 30, has struggled in net – for the second year in a row at that – posting an .884 save percentage and 3.60 GAA in eight games for the Capitals, losing three starts to 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov. Continued poor performance, especially in light of Samsonov’s strong play, could convince Washington GM Brian MacLellan that he does not need to pay the premium price required to retain the 30-year-old Holtby. Meanwhile, Backstrom is still playing at the same elite level, recording nine points in eleven games so far and leading all Capitals forwards in even strength ice time. The 32-year-old has been the epitome of consistency throughout his whole career, recording 882 points in 906 career games while skating in less than 90% of Washington’s games in a given season just once. It’s hard to say that Backstrom has ever had a bad season and it may be difficult for MacLellan and company to say goodbye to a player who has never given any indication that his days and an impact player are anywhere close to being over, unless they determine that the Capitals days as true contenders are over and the team is in need of transition. The salary cap will of course play a major role in these decisions as well. Washington has $63.5MM tied up in just 14 players next season, and likely lack the space needed to re-sign both Holtby and Backstrom while filling out the rest of the roster. Which way they go, re-signing on or the other or perhaps neither, will be a tough call and the Capitals are smart to use all of the information available, including this season’s results, to make that decision.

  • TSN colleague Bob McKenzie also notes today that Hockey Canada is in the beginning stages of forming their official roster for the 2020 World Junior Championships later this winter and are hoping that they can count on the three players currently in the NHL who also qualify for inclusion on the U-20 roster: the Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton, the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, and the Islanders’ Noah Dobson. The pair of centers and dynamic defensemen are each of their respective team’s top prospects, but their usage so far this season has been minimal. All three of Hayton, Dach, and Dobson have played in just two NHL games so far this year and are still eight games away from burning a year on their entry-level contracts. However, for Hayton and Dobson, McKenzie does not believe that the ten-game limit is a concern, as he doesn’t feel Arizona nor New York plan on sending their promising prospect back to the junior level. That doesn’t mean that they can’t still be loaned to Team Canada for the WJC though; it is not an uncommon practice for young pros in need of experience playing at different levels of competition instead of solely in the NHL to briefly leave their clubs for the international exhibition. With that said, both the ‘Yotes and the Isles hope to be playoff teams and may be unwilling to give up top young players mid-season, especially if they have become regular contributors. As for Dach, it is still unclear what Chicago’s intentions are this season. The youngest of the group, the No. 3 overall pick in June, Dach has spent some time in the AHL this season and has seen limited ice time in his two games with the Blackhawks. The team could still decide he would be better off with another year in the WHL, although McKenzie believes they are not yet ready to make that decision. Either way, Dach stands the best chance of participating in the WJC, given his current role in Chicago and the expectations of the team this season.
  • LeBrun also reports that, while there haven’t been any in-person meetings this month, collective bargaining continues between the NHL and NHLPA. Back in September, both the league and the players’ association declined to use their opt-out clause in the CBA, which would have prematurely ended the current agreement after this season. The decisions extended the CBA through the 2021-22 season, giving the parties plenty of time to work through their issues. However, both sides felt comfortable in declining their opt-outs as a result of positive ongoing talks and all stakeholders of hockey wanted to see that progress continue. LeBrun writes that those talks have not stalled, but are simply now ongoing in a more behind-the-scenes fashion. The hope is that the NHL and NHLPA can sort out a new collective bargaining agreement long before the September 2022 expiration date of the current deal and put to rest any thoughts of another work stoppage. Continued talks are a good sign that labor peace will come easier this time than in years past.

Pheonix Copley Headlines Three Players On Waivers

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Thursday: Copley has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The other two have also cleared.

Wednesday: The Washington Capitals have seemingly decided to make the switch to Ilya Samsonov as their backup goaltender. Pheonix Copley has been placed on waivers, along with New York Islanders forward Scott Eansor and Carolina Hurricanes forward Max McCormick. Eansor recently announced he would be retiring from professional hockey, meaning this placement will probably precede a mutual contract termination.

Copley,  27, was just signed to a three-year $3.3MM extension in February, though that was at least in part due to the upcoming expansion draft. The backup goaltender played in 27 games with the Capitals last season and recorded a 16-7-3 record with a .905 save percentage, but is a little too pricey for the team right now with his $1.1MM cap hit. Samsonov, who carries just a $925K cap hit on his entry-level deal, is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world and should get his first taste of NHL action this weekend.

The 22-year old Samsonov dominated the KHL for three straight seasons between 2015-18, but struggled somewhat in his first season in North America. Posting an .898 save percentage for the Hershey Bears, he showed some inconsistency even behind a strong group. Despite those disappointing stats, he still possesses all the potential in the world and could push for a starting role at some point in the future. Seeing exactly what they have will be important to the Capitals, who have starter Braden Holtby approaching unrestricted free agency and in line for a huge raise on the open market.

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