Sammi’s Daily: Capitals Notes, Letang & Malkin Update, Goalie Tidbits

As the coaching carousel starts to come to a halt, the NHL is turning its attention to the goaltending market — and that very well includes the Washington Capitals.

Both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek are restricted free agents in need of new deals. And, at the same time, Washington needs a No. 1 netminder, and general manager Brian MacLellan made it clear on exit day that the Capitals would be exploring their options.

The 2022 NHL Draft kicks off in five days, and free agency is also less than two weeks away, with several names popping up on both the free agent market and trade block.

Here are all the latest headlines from D.C. and across the NHL:

Capitals Links

• The Capitals 2022 preseason schedule is out now. (WHN)
• Could John Gibson be a name of interest for Washington as his name continues to come up in trade talks? (WHN)

NHL Links

• The Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang saga continues, and at this point, Ron Hextall shouldn’t care about what his decision will do to his reputation with the Pittsburgh Penguins. (PHN)
• Meanwhile, Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov was arrested in Russia for allegedly dodging the draft and military service.

Sammi’s Top Shelf Takes

• Per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, there are eight teams in the hunt for a starting goaltender, and several top names including Darcy Kuemper, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jack Campbell and Ville Husso. Considering the influx of options, it will be interesting to see what a new No. 1 and experienced goaltender does for Washington in 2022-23. In my opinion, having a proven starter would not only make a difference for the club, but also their young goaltending pool as they can learn from a veteran.
• Meanwhile, what does Fedotov’s detainment mean for other Russian players overseas? We’ll have to wait to find out, but still, a situation to monitor going forward as tensions continue to rise.