Ilya Samsonov making Leafs history for all the wrong reasons
It has not been a great season for Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov.
The Russian netminder is in his second season with the Leafs this year and has been struggling to keep the puck out of the net. Through his first 15 games of the season, Samsonov holds a 5-2-6 record and a .862 save percentage.
That is the lowest save percentage posted by a Leafs goalie in his first 15 games of the season in more than 30 years.
Ilya Samsonov's .862 Save Percentage is the lowest by a Leafs goaltender through the first 15 starts of a season since Allan Bester in 1989-90.
It's the lowest by any NHL goalie through 15 starts since Dan Cloutier (.862) in 2006-07.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 30, 2023
This must be a huge surprise to Leafs fans, who probably thought their goaltending woes were well behind them after Samsonov’s stellar first season in Toronto. Last season, the 26-year-old was a brick wall for the Leafs, posting a 27-10-5 record and a sparkling .919 save percentage before helping the team win its first playoff series since 2004.
Unfortunately, Samsonov hasn’t been able to maintain that pace and is now second-last in save percentage among NHL goalies with 15 or more games under their belt this season, with just Carolina Hurricanes goalie Antii Raanta posting worse numbers.
According to MoneyPuck.com, Samsonov is also last in goals saved above expectations (GSAE) with -13.3, with Raanta just ahead of him at -10.5.
Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t mince words about Samsonov’s poor play following a 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.
“Itās the NHL, we need saves, we need points and we need wins, so Iām sure [Leafs GM Brad Treliving] is going to consider everything,” Keefe told reporters.
Luckily, things aren’t all bad for the Leafs. The team has gotten quite a bit of relief with the play of Joseph Woll, who has an 8-5-1 record but a fantastic .915 save percentage. In terms of GSAE, the 25-year-old is ranked 13th in the league at +7.3.
Third-string goaltender Martin Jones has also shown well for the Leafs, albeit in a shorter sample size, rocking a .914 save percentage through seven games.
Though the Leafs are getting some decent goaltending outside of Samsonov, it will be in the team’s best interest that he can turn things around and live up to his $3.5 million cap hit. If that doesn’t happen, perhaps the team could explore the trade market and hand the reigns to Woll and Martin down the stretch.