Who is washington capitals starting goalie

Vanecek, who was selected in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken on July 21, was reacquired by Washington a week later, with the Caps sending a second-round pick that was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Brenden Dillon.

Another option could be if Henrik Lundqvist is cleared medically to play next season. But, in the end, after Vanecek was injured in Game 1 against the Boston Bruins, while Anderson was able to step in and split the two games at Capital One Arena, Samsonov came in for Game 3 and went winless in his three starts, leading to another quick playoff exit for the Capitals. It was a bumpy ride last season that saw Anderson backing up for a good portion of the campaign with one or both of the duo out, and the Capitals clearly appear to need a strong third option just in case injury strikes again.

Samsonov is the higher-touted prospect, a player who was expected to embrace the starting role once Holtby left via free agency to the Vancouver Canucks, but questionable off-ice decisions have really prevented him from taking over the role. While Vanecek and Samsonov came into the season as a tandem, clearly Vanecek has seized the upper hand in the goalie competition and now stands as Washington's starter. Vanecek's ascension is not a product of comparing the early season numbers as both goalies have nearly identical stats Instead, you can see who the top goalie is based on how they are being used.

Now nine games into the season, Vanecek has six starts while Samsonov has three. Vanecek has 14 seven-game spans not an arbitrary number of games! They need a guy who consistently gives them a chance to win. The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a small fortune outmanning the Caps in front of the net over the years. Neither do I agree with the assertion that Vitek Vanecek is less liable to lose a game than Ilya Samsonov.

Is this your king? Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Stories Schedule Roster Stats. However, the Capitals re-acquired the goaltender in a recent trade for a second-round pick. Samsonov will want to impress the Russian Olympic brass as well.

He is competing with several Russian goalies for a spot on the Olympic Team. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.