11:00 AM Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Maple Leafs have signed Samsonov to a one-year deal worth $1.8MM. Toronto has now confirmed a Murray-Samsonov tandem for 2022-23.
10:28 AMThe Toronto Maple Leafs may have found their second goaltender, as Arthur Staple of The Athletic links them to Ilya Samsonov. The former Washington Capitals netminder was not given a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this summer, putting him on the open market.
Samsonov, 25, hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft position just yet but carries the kind of massive upside that a team like the Maple Leafs have to swing for at this point in free agency. They already acquired Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators, hoping they could bring out the level that helped him to two Stanley Cup championships in Pittsburgh, and now they’ll bring in another inconsistent netminder hoping to unlock hidden talent.
Selected 22nd overall in 2015, Samsonov had a strong rookie season for Washington in 2019-20 but has been putting up worse and worse numbers ever since. This year he had an .896 save percentage in 44 appearances, obviously not good enough for the Capitals to retain him as their starter moving forward.
Still, he had an okay performance in the postseason, and that’s what the Maple Leafs are focused on. The team simply has to find a way through the first round and with a Murray-Samsonov tandem there is at least the potential for excellent goaltending.
It is a risk though, and likely an expensive one. There is a real chance that both netminders fail to find another level and give the Maple Leafs sub-.900 goaltending all year long.
Need someone to man the pipes with Murray going on the IL more often than Campbell
Could be the best year to be a Leaf fan, or this could be the early 80s all over again
Okay depending on the cap hit I’m okay with this, rather Ilya than Murray. Would assume it would be a 40/40 split
this would be a good move. the numbers haven’t been amazing last couple years but has the ability to be a top guy and the leafs are only asking for one of the two to be the guy come playoffs but likely both to play at least 30+
I guessed they might do this…
Signing Murray is a bad move. Signing Samsonov is a bad move.
BUT…signing both, I actually like. Upside, pedigree and TWO rolls of the dice, they could have done a lot worse, actually.
Agreed there. Certainly risks taken here, but perhaps it’s best they were taken together.
Not good enough in goal…Murray will not reach 40 games…Mark it…
sure but samsonov could play 50.
it’s not a best case scenario for sure but samsonov for 40+ is better than Comrie for 40+ at the same number.
He could play 50, but unless he improves his consistency and his mental game, he’s not gonna lead the Leafs to the playoffs. His numbers have declined each year he’s been in the league and had his worst year last year despite playing just as many games as he did in the previous two seasons combined.
Murray hasn’t played more than 38 games in three seasons and hasn’t even hit 30 games in two straight seasons with league average performance when he did play.
I’m not really a Leafs fan, but this is a high stakes gamble they’re making here. Chances are pretty high that both these guys fail to deliver. If either one has a chance to pull through, it’s probably Samsonov. He could be pretty good if he could just get it together, but has not yet shown the ability to do so.