In a Summer that should be quite interesting in the Washington Capitals organization, the teams first move was selecting a young goaltender in tonights NHL Draft.
The Caps picked up Ilya Samsonov with the #22 pick. Samsonov currently plays for "Iron' Mike Keenan with Mettalurg Magnitgorsk in the KHL and was the top goaltender ranked in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's European rankings.
Samsonov had a 11-4-1 record and a 2.66 GAA with a .918 SP with Mettalburg.
While this may seem like a great pick-up for the Trotz-era Caps, it leaves a lot of questions on the table as to why Washington picked another goaltender.
The Caps currently have in their system Braden Holtby (who remains an unsigned RFA), Philipp Grubauer (recently signed for 2 years, 1-way), Pheonix Copely (Hershey), Justin Peters and Vitek Vanecek, who was the Caps 39th pick in last year’s draft.
No one is debating that a solid goaltender is the way to go to create a Cup-worthy team, but the Caps seem to be building a nice cache.
Ilya Samsonov is the first goaltender taken by the Capitals in the first round since Semyon Varlamov - 23rd in 2006.
At 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, Samsonov is a big presence in the net, and could be why the Caps were so interested in bringing in yet another goaltender. Barry Trotz loves the defensive aspect of the game, and the Caps are stocked up now on netminders for a few years. However, many expected the Caps to pick up a young D-man to add to the list of potential suitors for the top-4 in a few years when players like Brooks Orpik and Karl Alzner have moved on.
GM Brian MacLellan said he would take the best player available, and it seems that Samsonov was, in their opinion, the best option - and chances are the scouts know a heluva lot more than I do.
Another thing about Samsonov, who is 18, is that he has another three years left on his KHL contract. Whether or not he continues to play there is up to him and his agent, but he could join Vanecek in the ECHL or AHL in a year or two.
The Caps have no second round pick, and I really, really, really, really hope they try to trade Mike Green and Eric Fehr's rights to gain some draft picks or at least a used puck bag.
Great night tonight, some big trades, and tomorrow should hold more surprises.
More to come....