Former Maple Leafs Goaltender Confirmed to be Heading Back to Free Agency

As the NHL season has officially come to an end, trades and signing rumors are already beginning to surface. For many players, this means actively searching for a new home.

One of those players is former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who is coming off an up-and-down season.

Samsonov spent this past season with the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year, $1.8 million "prove-it" deal.

Initially enthusiastic about the opportunity and atmosphere in Vegas, the 27-year-old struggled with consistency, appearing in just 29 games and posting a disappointing .891 save percentage, while serving as backup to Adin Hill.

Now, it appears as though Samsonov is ready to turn the page again, and seek out a new opportunity when free agency opens up on July 1st. The news came down on Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

The Maple Leafs opted not to re-sign Samsonov last summer and instead pursued Anthony Stolarz, who emerged as a standout performer throughout the season.

Stolarz delivered Vezina Trophy-caliber numbers down the stretch and into the playoffs before suffering an injury in Game 1 of Round 2.

With this year's free-agent goaltending market notably shallow, Samsonov could still command a significant deal - not necessarily due to recent performance, but because of limited competition. Still, he'll need to prove that he's capable of being a reliable starting goaltender if he hopes to extend his NHL career.