"No hard feelings": Samsonov set for second Leafs season after arbitration
The Toronto Maple Leafs appear set to keep Ilya Samsonov as their starting goaltender heading into next season.
On Sunday, it was reported by multiple sources that Samsonov was awarded a one-year, $3.55 million contract with the team after arbitration.
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs filed at a one-year rate of $2.4 million, while Samsonov was asking for a contract valued at $4.9 million.
While the gulf in potential asks could be seen as a cause for a divide between player and team, it doesn’t seem like it was anything more than a business negotiation.
According to Samsonov’s agent, Don Meehan, there’s nothing to worry about in regard to whether the process will impact his client’s on-ice performance.
“Ilya plans to be in Toronto very soon, he’s anxious to get back and start working out. He was well-schooled [for the hearing],” Meehan said, per Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. “There are no hard feelings with the Leafs, now we move forward.”
Samsonov's agent, Don Meehan: "Ilya plans to be in Toronto very soon, he's anxious to get back and start working out. He was well-schooled (in prepping for the arbitration hearing). There are no hard feelings with the #Leafs, now we move forward."
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) July 23, 2023
In 42 games this past 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, having spent the entirety of his NHL career with the Washington Capitals before joining the Leafs on a one-year deal last summer.
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.
Beyond Samsonov, Toronto has an interesting set of decisions to make when it comes to their two other goaltenders under NHL contracts: 29-year-old Matt Murray and 25-year-old Joseph Woll.
There have been rumblings of a potential buyout for Murray, with the team now $12.3 million over the salary cap for next season, as per CapFriendly.
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