Why Ilya Samsonov Hasn't Yet Played a Pre-Season Game for the Maple Leafs in 2023
Coming into training camp as the team's starting goaltender, the Leafs have prioritized building up his conditioning after dealing with injuries last season.
Ilya Samsonov is slated to make his pre-season debut in one of the Toronto Maple Leafs' upcoming games against the Montreal Canadiens this weekend after spending all of camp primarily working in practice and goaltending training.
It's a later start than usual for the 26-year-old to get in-game action, but it's part of a deeper approach to make sure the Russian goaltender is ready for an increased workload this season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgC5NNTpsjM[/embed]
"We want to work on the small goalie details, that's the focus right now," Samsonov said on Wednesday.
When he hasn't been practicing with the skaters, Samsonov is working with goaltending coach Curtis Sanford and the other netminders on the technical aspects of the game. But for Samsonov, the ramp-up to games is not unlike some of the other players like John Tavares (who made his pre-season debut on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres).
It all comes down to workload.
After a breakout first season with the Maple Leafs where he posted a 27-10-5 record, along with a .919 save percentage, Samsonov will be counted on to exceed his previous career-high of 44 games played.
Last season, Samsonov was in a battle with Matt Murray for the team's starters' job, so there wasn't a clear path to how many games played was expected. But with Murray set to be on long-term injured reserve for undisclosed reasons, there should be a reasonable path for Samsonov to play a majority of games this season.
"We didn't talk about this yet," Samsonov said when asked about a games-played target. "It depends on how I play and how the season is going. It doesn't matter for me."
Health will also dictate things.
Last season, Samsonov sustained a knee injury against the Boston Bruins in early November. He had dealt with other nagging injuries that he continued to play through.
During the second round of the playoffs, Samsonov sustained a neck injury and Joseph Woll played in net for the remainder of the club's playoff round.
Samsonov has spent this summer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Toronto working on strengthening his shoulder. He's also been doing hot yoga, which his wife Mariya introduced him to.
"You do some stretching with the dumbbells, it's good for mental (health) too," Samsonov said.
The Russian goaltender is committed for this season after an arbitrator awarded him a one-year, $3.55 million deal. Like he did last season, Samsonov will be betting on himself for a bigger deal, which he may be able to get. He is free to sign with any other NHL club on July 1, 2024.
Related
News from THN.com