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Leafs and Samsonov have gone ahead with arbitration hearing: report

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Jul 21 2023, 4:17 pm
Leafs and Samsonov have gone ahead with arbitration hearing: report
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ilya Samsonov have begun their arbitration hearing and will no longer be able to negotiate a new deal, as per David Alter of The Hockey News.

Samsonov came to Toronto last offseason on a one-year, $1.8 million contract after being left unqualified by the Washington Capitals. With his new club, the 26-year-old had the best season of his career to date, posting a 2.33 goals against average (GAA) along with a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 27-10-5 record. He began the season as the Leafs’ number two netminder but went on to earn the starting role after Matt Murray struggled to stay healthy.

With this deal heading to arbitration, Samsonov will be signed to another one-year contract, though the salary of it remains to be seen. Earlier in the week, it was reported that the Russian netminder’s side had an ask of $4.9 million, while the Leafs countered with $2.9 million.

Whatever decision is made, it will be very interesting to see what general manager Brad Treliving does afterward to get his team cap compliant. Without Samsonov signed, the Leafs are north of $8 million above the maximum salary cap limit, though Jake Muzzin and his $5.625 million deal will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

Even with Muzzin on LTIR, the Leafs would still be above the cap. One move many believe they may make is buying out Murray, who has one year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $4.69 million. The 29-year-old struggled in his first season with the Leafs, recording a 3.01 GAA along with a .903 SV% in 26 appearances.

While the Leafs would have the option to walk away from Samsonov should the arbitrator rule him a deal above $4.538,958, it seems unlikely they will do so. At this point, they will be relying on Samsonov to be their number one next season. Given that he led the team to its first playoff series win in nearly 20 years, it doesn’t seem like the worst idea to give him another opportunity.

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