The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a three-year entry-level contract with an annual cap hit of $925,000. He also has player bonuses as well that start at $500,000 in his first year and increases $50,000 in each of the next two years.

The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2018-19 season. Samsonov's contract will carry an average annual value of $925,000. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/iU5BwKBV1h

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 4, 2018

Capitals Sign Ilya Samsonov

The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to three-year entry-level contract. Samsonov has spent the last two years playing for Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL.

This year he went 12-9-1 with a 2.13 GAA and a .926 save percentage. He also recorded three shutouts.

During his four years in the KHL, Samsonov went 33-16-9 with a 2.20 GAA in 73 games. He had seven shutouts over that time. He was originally drafted in the first round, 22nd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals.

What does this Mean for the Future?

Washington is looking to solidify their goaltending depth with the signing. The Capitals have Braden Holtby signed on for another year but struggled a bit during the regular season and was relegated to back-up to start the playoffs. The contract of Philipp Grubauer expires at the end of this year and had a strong season. With Grabauer having a solid year for the Caps, Washington will be looking to re-sign him. Still, may be looking to cash in or a clear cup starting position and may be not be back in Washington next year.

After playing four years in the KHL the Caps will most likely give Samsonov at least a year down in Hershey for him to adjust to North American hockey. Samsonov should have every opportunity to succeed with the Bears. The Capitals have goaltender Vitek Vanecek in Hershey, however, he did not play particularly well with the Bears last year. Vanecek posted a 12-13-2-2 record with a 3.04 GAA and a .888 SA%. Vanecek was signed to a three-year entry-level contract in 2014. Another goalie in the Caps system that will be looking for playing time in the AHL is Adam Carlson. Carlson was signed to a two-year entry-level contract in March 2016 and played with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL last year. It will be interesting to see how the goaltender situation works out in Washington over the next few years.
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