Signed to a one-year, $1.8 million contract in the summer, the Maple Leafs are expected to lean heavily on the Russian goaltender when they open their 2023 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Signed to a one-year, $1.8 million contract in the summer, the Maple Leafs are expected to lean heavily on the Russian goaltender when they open their 2023 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Ilya Samsonov was aware of the opportunity presented to him when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, but he didn't anticipate just how different the experience would be in comparison to his time with the Washington Capitals.
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"I signed my contract and after three, four minutes everybody texted me, I get some shock, so happy how friendly this team (is)," Samsonov said. "Everybody is so friendly that I’m feeling more and more comfortable. I love everybody here I enjoy coming to the rink every day. I have never seen this before."
It's certainly easy to see why Samsonov feels at home in Toronto. After the initial shock of becoming an unrestricted free agent when the Capitals relinquished his rights by not giving him a qualifying offer, he shifted his focus to opportunity. Where could he go that needed goaltending and where could he make an impact?
The opportunity was obvious in Toronto.
After enduring another disappointing first-round playoffs exit, the Maple Leafs decided to move on from their goaltending tandem. Jack Campbell signed with the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent for five years at $25 million. The Leafs traded backup Petr Mrazek, along with the 25th overall pick (Sam Rinzel) in the 2022 NHL Draft in exchange for the 38th pick (Fraser Minten).
On July 11, The Leafs acquired the oft-injured Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators just two days before signing Samsonov. And while Murray performed well at times, the risks associated with taking on a goalie with an injury history came to the forefront. The two-time Stanley Cup champion had an adductor injury that kept him out for a month, an ankle injury for nearly another month and he ended his regular season with a concussion.
When Samsonov was thrust into a true No. 1 goaltending role, the Russian delivered.
"The guys are confident and comfortable playing in front of him," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Samsonov. "He’s ready, he’s clearly motivated as he’s been all season long and that’s why he put the work in that he did in the off-season to come in here and take advantage of his opportunity."
With a 27-10-5 record this season, Samsonov's .919 save percentage is the best among any Leafs goaltender who started in at least 25 games in a season since Jonathan Bernier posted a .922 save percentage in his first year with Toronto in 2013-14. Having just completed his fourth regular season with a career-high save percentage, Samsonov credited goaltending coach Curtis Sanford, who like the goaltender was also in his first year with Toronto, in helping build his game in the summer.
"We started to get some progression on how I feel with my legs and the reverse (VH) stuff," Samsonov explained.
In many ways, Samsonov is the perfect enigma for a situation where the Maple Leafs could be understandably tense going into the playoffs. He's always smiling, making conversation with just about anybody that comes his way. That includes media members who come into the locker room on a somewhat daily basis. All of it while dropping a hilarious quote about being a new dad, to life back in his home Magnitogorsk, while being as earnest as possible.
"We see how he talks to you guys and he has fun with it. He lets his personality come through. With us, it’s the same thing," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said of Samsonov. "He’s always smiling, always laughing when he’s at the card table playing and when it comes to hockey he’s extremely focused. He’s always working here to do whatever is needed to be ready."
The biggest question still to be answered is how much can Samsonov's regular season translate into playoff success. In eight postseason appearances over two years, the 26-year-old has just one victory with a .907 save percentage.
But it's the mental focus that has been the biggest part of Samsonov's preparation.
When he returned to Capital One Arena in Washington last December, the goaltender allowed five goals in 28 shots in one of his worst games of the season. He admitted afterward that the game was emotional for him, but the play carried over in his next three starts for a four-game save percentage of .850.
Samsonov continued to work with Sanford and the performance staff to get the mental part of his game back on track. And he hasn't wavered.
As the regular season winded down, Samsonov was sharp against playoff-caliber opponents. He made several difficult stops in a 31-save overtime loss against the NHL-best Boston Bruins. In his final game of the regular season, he helped deny the Florida Panthers a point with a 45-save victory in overtime.
His play has backed up his confidence and he heads into Game 1 without any doubt of his role on a team that continues to consistently near the top of the overall standings.
All while trying to stay in the moment.
"I think we’re an elite team and probably the best team in the league," Samsonov said confidently. "We just need to focus the concentration on day-by-day. Not more. Not overthinking. I know everybody’s waiting for results with us but we need a little bit not to see the outside just focus on the inside and concentrate."
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