Goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Eric Comrie cleared waivers Monday, leaving many wondering about the trade market and state of NHL goaltending. Both Samsonov and Comrie were brought in with the intention of starting the majority of games for their respective teams. Now, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres are left with well-compensated depreciating assets.
Let’s dive into the Samsonov and Comrie AHL demotions after no other options were available and breakdown the NHL trade market.
Ilya Samsonov was brought to Toronto originally by former general manager Kyle Dubas last season on a one-year deal. His $1.8 million dollar cap hit was a modest one, hinting that his run at the starting job would be more of a timeshare or audition than a certainty. A lot times game environment can have a huge impact on the goalie, so it seemed like a good marriage when Samsonov improved from costing his former club -0.28 goals per game in 2021-2022 to stopping 0.51 goals per game above expected for the Maple Leafs in 2022-2023.
New general manager Brad Treliving rewarded him with another one-year deal, this time at a $3.55 million cap hit.
Goaltending is very volatile, however, and a rattled Samsonov never was able to take the reins this season. Despite a PuckLuck.com projection of 0.23 goals-saved above expected this season, based on their predictive model, he has cost the Leafs nearly a goal per game, at about -0.95 GSAx.
When you’re costing your team that much, it’s a no-brainer to turn elsewhere. With Joseph Woll on injured reserve, Toronto now turns to Martin Jones and Dennis Hildeby. The Leafs will also be forced to eat $2.4 million in cap penalty due to sending Samsonov down to the AHL.
Ever since Eric Comrie was brought in to Buffalo on a two-year, $1.8 million dollar deal last season he has struggled to stay healthy. He was supposed to be the liaison in net until one or both of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were developed and ready to take over the starter’s role.
Comrie only appeared in 19 games, however, and saw a huge drop in his underlying numbers. He cost the Sabres nearly half a goal per game, and it seemed their run and gun environment was not one he could ever get comfortable in.
This season, Comrie has only appeared in seven games. His goals saved above expected number has only improved slightly, to about -0.43. His poor play and health has somewhat accelerated both Levi and Luukkonen’s development path and buried himself to third on the organizational depth chart.
The Sabres announced Monday that Comrie has been sent down to AHL Rochester. The move will cost them $650,000 in cap penalty.
To go over the status of NHL goaltending, let’s group each team into four states: comfortable, content, weary, and panicked. We’ll quickly summarize their projected numbers, actual numbers, and potential trade activity.
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
Philadelphia Flyers
Seattle Kraken
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Buffalo Sabres
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks
Carolina Hurricanes
Edmonton Oilers
New Jersey Devils
Toronto Maple Leafs
All GSAx (goals-saved above expected) data via PuckLuck.com. Trade market information provided is speculative in nature and should not be mistaken for verified reporting.
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