Samsonov is expected to get the start in goal against the New York Islanders but plans can change as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Ilya Samsonov was thankful to the Toronto Maple Leafs for getting in some family time and resting up Toronto rather than traveling to back up Matt Murray against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

"It's a new opportunity in my life," Samsonov said about becoming a first-time dad. "My life will change in the next few days."

The 25-year-old and his wife, Maria, are expecting the birth of their first child, a baby boy, in the coming days. Samsonov re-joined the Maple Leafs at practice on Monday along with goaltenders Murray and Joseph Woll. The latter called up when Samsonov stayed back in Toronto. 

The plan for the Maple Leafs is to have Samsonov start in goal when they visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday. But all three goaltenders will travel on the team's road trip in case Samsonov is summoned back to Toronto for the delivery of his son.

In addition to his appreciation for the Maple Leafs, he was also thankful to his wife, Maria, for helping him balance the anticipation of becoming a dad while trying to stay focused on performing well for his team. 

"My wife supports me, telling me not to worry about anything," Samsonov said. "Trying to talk to me a lot about no stress and we’ll figure it out." 

It was a pretty intense session of practice for Samsonov, who has been dealing with a minor injury. He told The Hockey News/SI that his ailment dates back to the game he played against the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 25 when he was a bit slow to get up toward the end of the game.

"I feel good, good goalie session today," Samsonov insisted. "Good power. I’ve got a little bit of an injury. It’s nothing crazy but sometimes you feel this one."

Samsonov, who set a new career-high in wins with his 24th in a 5-2 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday declined to say what the injury is, but he dismissed any notion that it had to do with the knee injury he sustained on Nov. 5 against the Boston Bruins.

During practice on Monday, Samsonov was seen undergoing extended stretches following different drills. Clearly, the injury isn't serious enough to keep Samsonov out of the lineup and it is understandable that the goaltender wants to keep fresh and into regular game reps between now and the playoffs.

But with the durability of the team's goaltending a focal point all season long, Samsonov's health is something Toronto will have to continue to monitor as they ready him for the playoffs.

Samsonov is 24-8-3 with a .917 save percentage this season. He signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Maple Leafs last summer days after he became an unrestricted free agent.

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