NHL Free Agency: 3 Goalies Waiting on Contracts Before Training Camp
NHL training camps open next week and there's still plenty of unsigned talent left on the open goaltending market. While one-way contracts seem like a stretch, we'll have to wait and see what the future holds for veterans James Reimer, Ilya Samsonov and Alexandar Georgiev.
Out of the three, seeing Samsonov unsigned at this point is the biggest surprise. The former first-round pick spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, and in a backup role, had a reasonably successful season going 16-9-4 with a 2.82 goals against average. At 28 years old, there's still plenty in the tank for the Russian netminder, who just three seasons ago had a career year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, posting a 27-10-5 record, with a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Reimer, at 37 years old, could be tough to get back into the NHL this season. He had a down season with the Buffalo Sabres, going 10-8-2, before being moved to the Anaheim Ducks where he'd go winless. At this point, it could be retirement instead of grinding out a roster spot at an NHL training camp, as it's unlikely Reimer would consider an AHL contract.
Georgiev on the other hand, has had a very inconsistent past couple of years, despite being one of the best goaltenders in the league just a few years ago. The Russian tender went 7-19-4 last season with the San Jose Sharks, and it wasn't all his fault as the team was young and frankly, very bad. However, from 2022-2024, Georgiev was lights out for the Colorado Avalanche, going 40-16-6 and 38-18-5 in back-to-back seasons.
As far as potential destinations for any of the three netminders, there's plenty of teams who could use some goaltending depth and a push from their number-three goaltender, including the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Washington Capitals. With one-way contracts seem like a long shot at this point, don't be surprised to see all three goaltenders attending training camp somewhere next week and battling for a crease throughout the preseason schedule.
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
