Dramatic Twist on Waivers: Bad News for Kent Hughes
We had some big news to end the year 2023 in the National Hockey League, as the Toronto Maple Leafs surprised everyone by deciding to place their goaltender Ilya Samsonov on waivers.
You can say what you want, but he instantly becomes the best available goaltender, and for free at that.
A dramatic waivers twist in Toronto that could change everything for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens
Samsonov, 26, is a first-round pick (22nd overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2015. In 42 games last season, he had a record of 27-10-5, with an average of 2.33 and a save percentage of 0.920.
He was among the best goalies in the entire NHL last year.
However, this season, he has a record of 5-2-6, an average of 3.94, and a save percentage of 0.862.
Why is his waiver a bad news for the Habs?
Imagine that Kent Hughes was in serious discussions, or even about to conclude a trade with, say, the New Jersey Devils (involving a goalie like Jake Allen or Cayden Primeau).
It's certain that this could ruin everything.
Instead of paying to acquire a Jake Allen, a club like the Devils or the Oilers could certainly decide to abandon trade discussions in order to simply claim a Samsonov on waivers for free.
With this waivers of Samsonov, Kent Hughes is clearly facing obstacles in his trade market discussions. He did not need this, let's say, when it already seems difficult enough to get a good price in exchange for Allen or Primeau.
One thing is for sure, at 2 p.m. today, we will learn a lot about the current state of the NHL goaltender market.
And you, do you think Samsonov will be claimed?
| POLL | ||
Which one is the best goaltender, in your opinion? | ||
| Ilya Samsonov | 171 | 16.9 % |
| Jake Allen | 519 | 51.2 % |
| Cayden Primeau | 324 | 32 % |
| List of polls | ||
