Mycampusplug
Breaking: Shocking Announcement Reveals Ilya Samsonov’s Final Decision with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Ilya Samsonov’s history with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been quite intriguing. He was a former first-round pick who the Washington Capitals no longer wanted, but in just two seasons, he went from being a part of the team to having the best season of his career, outperforming Andrei Vasilevski in the 2023 playoffs, and helping the Toronto Maple Leafs win their first postseason series since 2004.
This year, Samsonov was placed on waivers after that. However, he recovered completely in the second half of the season, winning a starting position in the opening game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Samsonov was incredibly inconsistent in these playoffs, and even though he had the series’ finest game in game 7, he and the squad were unable to win. Even though “Sammy” has occasionally been excellent during his stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, I believe this is his final game as a member of the team.
This is Ilya Samsonov’s final game with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Naturally, there are a number of reasons for this, the most prominent being the Leafs’ present cap predicament. They are by no means constrained by the cap, but the more room they have inside the cap, the better.
With so many contracts expiring this summer, including Samsonov’s $3.55 million contract, the Leafs would be better suited allocating that money to anything else. Of course, the back end and finding a replacement goaltender for Samsonov are two areas where the Leafs may invest more money.
The only goalie on the NHL roster contracted for the upcoming season is Joseph Woll, who is younger than Samsonov and has outperformed him in each of the previous two playoffs. As such, the Leafs will require a replacement.
When Woll was hurt and Samsonov was on waivers earlier in the season, Martin Jones had a strong run of games. However, much though I wouldn’t mind having him back, he is currently not even a suitable backup goalie.
Popular choices to partner with Woll for the upcoming campaign include Anthony Stolarz, a pending UFA, and Kevin Lankinen. Or possibly a deal for Juuse Saros or Jacob Markstrom (though many would favor the latter).
Essentially, a combination of his own inconsistent play, the emergence of rookie Joseph Woll, and possibly better net choices mean that Ilya Samsonov won’t be wearing a Leafs uniform for much longer. Despite his imperfections during his tenure with the Leafs, Samsonov’s performance in the first-round 2023 game 6 will live on forever.
Even though no formal decision has been made, Samsonov is probably gone for good. This is my last farewell, I promise. Best wishes, Sam.
