Ilya Samsonov THW Close-Up:
Team: Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Date of Birth: 02/22/1997
Place of Birth: Magnitogorsk, Russia
Ht: 6’ 3″ Wt: 200 lbs
Catches: Left
Position: G
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2015
THW Ranking (The Next Ones; Chris’s List): 77 (March)
Other Rankings:
NHL CS Midterm: 1 Eu Goalies
McKeen’s March: 29
FC Mid term: Not ranked
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[Check out THW’s Midrterm rankings]
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Top Goalie From Russia
An intriguing Russian goalie prospect with good size and excellent athleticism. Is the talk about Andrei Vasilevskiy? No, but it can well be. Samsonov is a 6’3″, 200 lbs. goalie who can cover a big part of the net and rely on his athleticism and reactivity to make big saves. A native of Magnitogorsk, Russia, Samsonov never played outside of his home town, who also produced the likes of NHL players Evgeny Malkin and Nikolay Kulemin. He is also a long time member of the national team for players of his year of birth, and represented Russia in multiple international tournaments, like the WJAC and different tournaments in Europe.
Scout’s Honour:
“He has good size and covers the net well. He plays at the top of the crease and effectively squares to the shooter. He shows good instincts and is well balanced. He can make acrobatic saves and is considered to be the best Russian goalie prospect in many years.” – Goran Stubb via nhl.com.
Where He’ll End Up In June:
Just one game played and a three-year deal in the KHL may have Samsonov go down a bit on selections day. He may be considered one of the top goalies for the draft, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be picked in the first round. However, Samsonov can be picked as high as during the second round, but a fall to the third round can’t be excluded.
Statistics:
NHL ETA:
- 4-5 Years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
- Risk: 2.0/5 Reward: 4.00/5
NHL Potential:
- Highest: Franchise goaltender; Realistic: Starting goalie
Strengths:
- Size
- Athleticism
- Covers well the net
- Always ready
- Fast hands
- Challenges well the shooter
Flaws/Aspects He Needs to Work On:
- Rebound control
- Consistency
- Needs to be tested against better competition
Fantasy Potential:
- Goaltending: 8.0-8.5/10
Video(s):
Related: 2015 NHL Draft War Room: The Top Five Goalies
** THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph