Ilya Samsonov is taking the Maple Leafs to salary arbitration
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov has filed for arbitration, as per the NHLPA.
With the NHLPA announcing the hearings will take place from July 20 to August 4, the Leafs still have a bit of time to work out a new deal with the Russian netminder, though the clock is ticking away.
After surprisingly not being qualified by the Washington Capitals last year as an RFA, Samsonov chose to sign a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Leafs. It appeared he was going to be the second-string netminder behind Matt Murray to begin the season, but the latter struggled with injuries which opened the door for Samsonov to take the number-one role.
In 42 games this season, Samsonov put up a 2.33 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 27-10-5 record. Both his GAA and SV% marked the highest of his NHL career since debuting in 2019-20.
Unfortunately for Samsonov, his strong regular season play didn’t translate to the playoffs, as he recorded a 3.13 GAA and a .898 SV% in nine appearances. He was also forced to exit the Leafs’ second-round series versus the Florida Panthers after being injured in a collision with Luke Schenn during Game 3.
The Leafs are in an interesting spot right now, as they currently sit $8.83 million above the league’s maximum salary cap. After his strong season, one would assume they would like to re-sign Samsonov, though doing so would likely require them to find a way to move Matt Murray and his $4.69 million cap hit. Given how injury-ridden Murray has been in recent years, that will be challenging for newly hired GM Brad Treliving.
When Samsonov first came into the NHL, many viewed him as a future superstar. After being taken 22nd overall in the 2015 draft by the Capitals, he had tons of potential and showed flashes of it throughout his three seasons with them. Inconsistencies seemed to plague him, however, and likely played a part in the Capitals’ decision to move on.
Those inconsistencies seemed to have improved with the Leafs, albeit in a small sample size. If he can play at his best on a nightly basis, he could still turn into one of the league’s best.
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