Capitals and Ilya Samsonov set to part ways

In a rather puzzling move, the Washington Capitals chose not to give a qualifying offer to Ilya Samsonov, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 13.

During his time with the Capitals, Samsonov has been frustratingly inconsistent. With that said, the move to not qualify him is a strange one. Goalies generally take longer to develop, and Samsonov is still viewed as having a high ceiling after being taken 22nd overall in the 2015 draft. It is quite odd that the Caps are willing to part ways with him after putting so much stock into him, and even more strange when paired with the fact that they just traded their other goaltender in Vitek Vanecek to the New Jersey Devils days ago.

It has been discussed that the Capitals are in heavy on Darcy Kuemper, and this move makes that even more likely. That said, they will likely be on the search for a back up now as well, unless they believe Zachary Fucale, who impressed in a brief four game showing this past season, is ready for that role. Expect Samsonov to receive plenty of interest on the open market due to all the potential he still has.

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