The 2026 NHL off-season has been rather quiet as of late, but with the new season now less than three weeks away from beginning, things are once again starting to heat up.
Despite the season being right around the corner, there’s still some big names available, and with injuries expected to happen in training camp and pre-season, we could see a flurry of signings in the not too distant future. One position that remains strong in the free agency department is goaltending, and after leaving the NHL a year ago, a former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender has now officially signed with the San Jose Sharks.
Ilya Samsonov Returns; Signs With the San Jose Sharks
That player would be Ilya Samsonov, who was once seen as a very promising player at the National Hockey League level, with productive years in Toronto, Washington and Vegas.
However, for the 2025/26 season, the former first-round pick returned to Russia, appearing in 14 games for HC Sochi and posting a a 3.27 GAA and a .903 save percentage in that time. Despite the success, many believed it was a matter of when, not if the 29-year-old returned to North America and the NHL, and on Tuesday, that move was confirmed.
The former No. 22 overall pick was never in line to battle for a starting role, but instead will look to find a backup role in the NHL, and as a result, he signed with the San Jose Sharks, looking to push for a role behind the young netminder in Yaroslav Askorov.
It’s not going to be easy however, as the veteran signed a two-way deal given that the team already have solid veteran depth in both Alex Nedeljkovic and Eric Comrie, both of whom will be hoping to solidify themselves in the backup role this season.
Can Ilya Samsonov be a Starter in the NHL Again?
While he wasn’t able to find a role in the NHL a year ago, Samsonov has long been a very productive player at the highest level, with his last NHL season in Vegas seeing him post a 2.82 GAA across 29 games played.
Sure, at 29-years-old, he likely isn’t going to take a huge leap out of nowhere to become a starter at the next level, but over his career he’s been consistently solid, posting a 2.77 GAA across 200 games played to date.
Only time will tell if we even see him back in the NHL, as he’s likely going to play a role in the AHL for the Sharks unless the injury bug strikes their goaltending group ahead of the new season, but given that goaltenders come into their prime late in their 20’s, don’t be shocked to see a resurgence of his career as he looks to return to the league.
Former Maple Leafs Goalie Returns to the NHL; Signs in the Western Conference