Washington Capitals: Vitek Vanecek Can Be Trusted, Ilya Samsonov Cannot Be

Vitek Vanecek continues to prove himself as the Washington Capitals’ number one goaltender.

Through two games, it appears as though the Washington Capitals have their number one goaltender. Vitek Vanecek is that guy. Despite many believing Ilya Samsonov‘s ceiling his higher, his inconsistency both on the ice and off of it has prevented the young Russian netminder from securing the starting position in DC.

Samsonov was supposed to replace Braden Holtby as the team’s number one netminder but a series of questionable decisions off of the ice have prevented Samsonov from finding his groove. Last season, in addition to being benched by Peter Laviolette as the playoffs neared for being late to a team event, Samsonov also found himself under the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols twice and missed significant time. The budding star has made it apparent that he cannot be relied upon. Not yet anyway. The organization realizes this too and he was signed to a one-year contract worth $2 million this offseason. A so-called “prove it” deal.

On the flipside, you have Vitek Vanecek. The young Czech netminder was thrust into the full-time starting role in January of last season when Samsonov contracted COVID-19. Vanecek seized the opportunity and quickly became a player that the team could rely on. Leading all rookies in wins, Vanecek finished the campaign 21-10-4 with a .908 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.69.

Fast forward to the 2021-2022 season, many assumed that Samsonov would be between the pipes to begin the season but Laviolette had other ideas, saying that Vanecek earned the start.

“I thought his camp was really good,” Laviolette explained. “He separated himself a little bit and for that, he gets the opportunity to start. Then the goalies will fight for the opportunity to play. I just think in camp he was a little bit more steady. It’s a starting point and a long year so that’s where we’re starting. I think just the consistency inside the games, inside practice, just a little bit more consistency.”

After an impressive performance where Vanecek turned aside 23 of 24 shots, he once again was between the pipes for game two of the young season against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

“I thought Vitek was excellent,” Laviolette said after game one. “The first period was probably our period where we weren’t as good and as crisp and sharp as we needed to be. There were three or four really big saves, couple point-blank right in front of the net. I thought we tightened up after but he was ready and made some big saves. He looked extremely sharp to me throughout the entire game, played excellent.”

Despite suffering a 2-1 OT loss to the Lightning, Vanecek was by far and away the Capitals’ best player. His teammates recognized that.

“Yeah, he’s been really solid,” defenseman Justin Schultz said of Vanecek. “I think we gave up a few too many Grade A chances to them [the Lightning] tonight and without him it could’ve been a different game. Yeah, he’s been unbelievable.”

Through two games, Vanecek is 1-0-1 with a stellar .938 save percentage and a goals against average of only 1.44. His goaltending coach, Scott Murray, had high praise for the 25-year-old Czech.

“He has kind of carried on from where he left off last year,” Scott Murray said of Vanecek. “He’s pretty consistent with his work ethic; he is a great kid, a great worker. He’s grown up, he’s a great pro, and the results have come along with that.”

The two young goalies are similar in terms of a lot of their statistics but the key difference between Vanecek and Samsonov is quite simple. Vanecek has been on the ice far more than Samsonov has since the two have begun battling for the starting position and that boils down to the level of consistency that Vitek Vanecek has shown.

“His game on the ice is consistent, and he’s a consistent human being,” Murray explained. “You know what you are getting from him each day, and that kind of translates into practice, which translates into games. What you see is what you get so far with Vitek, and it’s been nice.”

The Capitals have seen growth in Samsonov’s consistency and that’s encouraging for his future but as it stands right now, he is still behind Vanecek on the depth chart.

“We know the skill and the pedigree [of Samsonov], and I think he’s started to put good days together, and sometimes that is not easy for young guys,” Murray said.

Sure, two games is a small sample size, but all indications point to Vanecek being the guy. Laviolette giving him the net in the season opener and then again against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning is all the proof you need to crown Vanecek the number one netminder for Washington.

Despite being similar in age to Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek is praised by his coaching staff and teammates like a veteran netminder with years of experience would be. Samsonov, on the other hand, is talked about as a player that is talented but is still trying to put it altogether. It appears, that Vanecek is the number one goalie because he is NHL ready. While immensely skilled, Ilya Samsonov is not quite ready.