Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Handed shootout loss
Rotowire
Samsonov allowed four goals on 28 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Flames.
Samsonov returned to the crease after missing eight games, which suggests he's healthy heading into the postseason. That'll be a relief for the Golden Knights, though Adin Hill will likely get the majority of the starts at least to begin the playoffs. Samsonov has likely wrapped up his regular season in the first half of a back-to-back set. If that's the case, he'll close at 16-9-4 with a 2.82 GAA and an .891 save percentage over 29 appearances. One of Hill or Akira Schmid is likely to get the nod in Vancouver on Wednesday for the regular-season finale.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Returns to crease Tuesday
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) will defend the road net against Calgary on Tuesday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.
Samsonov will return to the crease following an eight-game absence. He has posted a 16-9-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.78 GAA and an .892 save percentage across 28 appearances this season. Calgary ranks 30th in the league with 2.64 goals per game in 2024-25.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Remains sidelined
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) won't return to the lineup Saturday versus the Predators.
Samsonov is set to miss his eighth straight game. His last chances to return during the regular season will be in a road back-to-back with contests in Calgary on Tuesday and in Vancouver on Wednesday. It's unclear at this time if Samsonov will be able to suit up for either of those games.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Out of action again
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) won't return to action Thursday versus the Kraken.
Samsonov will be out for a seventh straight game, and there's yet to be an indication he'll be ready before the playoffs. The Golden Knights have three games left on the schedule after Thursday. Adin Hill is starting Thursday and could split the starts with Akira Schmid if Samsonov remains out until the postseason.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Not ready to return
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) won't be in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Avalanche, per the NHL media site.
There's been no update on Samsonov since he was a late scratch March 29 versus the Predators. The Golden Knights have little incentive to rush him back prior to the playoffs. Akira Schmid will start versus the Avalanche on Tuesday, but Adin Hill is Vegas' No. 1 netminder.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Set to miss additional action
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) isn't expected to be an option for Saturday's road game versus Calgary and Sunday's road matchup versus Vancouver, according to SinBin Vegas.
Adin Hill and Akira Schmid will probably split the back-to-back situation. The 28-year-old Samsonov has been unavailable since getting hurt in pregame warmups before last Saturday's 3-1 win over Nashville. He has a 16-9-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.78 GAA and an .892 save percentage through 28 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Unavailable Thursday
Rotowire
Samsonov (upper body) will miss Thursday's clash against Winnipeg, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
Samsonov hasn't been in net since March 23. He has a 16-9-3 record, 2.78 GAA and .892 save percentage in 28 appearances in 2024-25. Adin Hill is set to start versus the Jets, while Akira Schmid will serve as the understudy.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Labeled day-to-day
Rotowire
Samsonov is dealing with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Edmonton, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Samsonov probably wasn't going to start Tuesday's game regardless, but the team brought up Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson in case Samsonov isn't healthy enough to back up Adin Hill. The Golden Knights have a back-to-back against Calgary and Vancouver on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, which could be an opportunity for Samsonov to start if he's cleared to play by the weekend.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Dealing with injury concern
Rotowire
Samsonov had something tighten up on him during warmups, which is why he did not make his anticipated start Saturday versus the Predators, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Samsonov started the game on the bench where the backup goalie would usually sit, but he left midway through the second period, Webster adds. This leaves Samsonov's status in doubt ahead of Tuesday's game versus the Oilers, though that's likely one Adin Hill would start anyway. If Samsonov can't dress, the Golden Knights will need to make a move to call up a goaltender.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Not starting after all
Rotowire
Samsonov won't start Saturday in Nashville despite leading the Golden Knights onto the ice for warmups, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.
Samsonov was the logical choice to start the second half of a back-to-back, but instead, it will be Adin Hill in goal for the second game in a row. It's a tough break for fantasy managers who were banking on Samsonov against a fairly easy opponent, as the switch came after the roster lock. It's unclear if Samsonov is currently dealing with something that is keeping him from playing.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Starting in Nashville
Rotowire
Samsonov will protect the road goal versus the Predators on Saturday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.
Samsonov will start after Adin Hill tended the twine in Friday's win over the Blackhawks. The 28-year-old Samsonov is 2-1-1 in March, but he's been sharp with just eight goals allowed on 103 shots (.922 save percentage). While the Golden Knights may be a little tired due to the road back-to-back, the Predators' offense isn't too intimidating, so Samsonov is still a decent fantasy option.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Rides early lead to win
Rotowire
Samsonov stopped 35 of 37 shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Lightning.
The Golden Knights led 3-0 after the first period, and that was enough of a lead for Samsonov to work with. The 28-year-old had lost his last two outings, and he's started to slip into more of a clear-cut backup role to Adin Hill in that stretch. Samsonov is up to 16-9-3 with a 2.78 GAA and an .892 save percentage through 28 starts this season. He likely won't have to wait long for his next start. The Golden Knights have a three-game road trip for the upcoming week, which ends with a back-to-back at Chicago on Friday and at Nashville on Saturday, which essentially guarantees a favorable matchup for Samsonov in one of those contests.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Slated to start Sunday
Rotowire
Samsonov is expected to guard the home goal against Tampa Bay on Sunday, per SinBin.Vegas.
Samsonov will get the second half of Vegas' back-to-back after Adin Hill plays in Saturday's home game versus Detroit. The 28-year-old Samsonov has a 15-9-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.81 GAA and an .889 save percentage through 27 appearances this season. Tampa Bay ranks second in the league with 3.49 goals per game in 2024-25.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Starting in Detroit
Rotowire
Samsonov will get the road start Sunday against the Red Wings.
Samsonov will make just his second start in Vegas' last five games. He'll take on a Detroit team that's averaged 2.85 goals per game this year. Overall, Samsonov is 15-8-3 with an .889 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA in his first season with the Golden Knights.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Takes loss in OT
Rotowire
Samsonov stopped 14 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.
The 28-year-old goalie wasn't busy at all, and that lack of activity may have cost him in OT -- Samsonov got a clean look at Erik Karlsson's shot from the faceoff circle but whiffed on it as the puck zipped past his glove. He's been working in a timeshare with Adin Hill since late January, but consistent action hasn't led to better results for Samsonov, as he's gone 3-2-2 in seven outings during that span with a 2.87 GAA and .859 save percentage.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: First off Tuesday
Rotowire
Samsonov was the first goaltender off at Tuesday's morning skate, indicating he'll be between the road pipes against the Penguins, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports.
Samsonov will make another start against Pittsburgh after posting a 22-save shutout over the Pens on Friday. The 28-year-old has a 15-8-2 record, .891 save percentage and 2.80 GAA through 25 appearances this season. Pittsburgh is tied for 20th in the NHL with 2.82 goals per game in 2024-25.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Starting against Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Samsonov will serve as the starting netminder for Friday's home game against the Penguins, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Samsonov didn't appear in either of the Golden Knights' last two games, but he'll return to the net Friday and will attempt to bounce back after he went 1-1-0 with a 5.02 GAA and a .756 save percentage over his last two starts. The Penguins have a middling offense, as they're tied for 17th in the NHL with 2.86 goals per game this season.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Wins ugly Thursday
Rotowire
Samsonov stopped 17 of 22 shots in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Blackhawks.
The Golden Knights led 5-1 after the first period, so it's not a great sign that Samsonov allowed it to get close. He still came away with his second win in five outings, but he has given up 17 goals in that span. For the season, the 28-year-old netminder has a 14-8-2 record with a 2.91 GAA and an .887 save percentage over 24 contests. Adin Hill will likely be back between the pipes for Sunday's game versus the Devils. If Samsonov can't get his play back on track soon, he may lose out on playing time -- he's been in a near 50-50 split since the start of January.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Tending twine versus Chicago
Rotowire
Samsonov was the first goalie off during Thursday's morning skate, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports, indicating that he'll defend the home crease against Chicago.
Samsonov wasn't particularly sharp Monday against the Kings, allowing five goals on 19 shots (.737 save percentage) in the road loss. However, he'll start in back-to-back games for the first time since mid-October. Samsonov should have a favorable opportunity to bounce back Thursday, as the Blackhawks are averaging just 2.62 goals per game this season, which is the fourth-worst mark in the NHL.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov: Gives up five goals Monday
Rotowire
Samsonov stopped 14 of 19 shots in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Kings.
Samsonov was making his first start since the break, and it's safe to say he didn't look at his best after posting his worst save percentage of the season for a single game. The 28-year-old Russian has made three appearances this month, and the results have been underwhelming, as he's gone 1-2-0 with a 3.47 GAA and an .825 save percentage. In fact, Samsonov didn't post a save percentage above .880 in any of those contests. The Golden Knights have been alternating starts between the pipes, so Adin Hill is likely to defend Vegas' crease against the Blackhawks on Thursday.
