The Russian goaltender put up a career-high .919 save percentage in his first season with the Maple Leafs.
Will Ilya Samsonov be back in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs next season?
It seems that the club has an interest in bringing the Russian goaltender back, according to TSN hockey insider Pierre Lebrun.
"The Leafs, meanwhile, have shown interest in re-signing pending RFA Ilya Samsonov," LeBrun wrote in his latest piece for The Athletic on Monday. "So long as both sides can figure out the sweet spot, looks like he’ll be back in Toronto."
The 26-year-old goaltender joined the Maple Leafs last July when he signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said the goaltender only wanted to sign for the lone season as a way to bet on himself.
Samsonov signed just days after the Washington Capitals elected to not qualify him in order to retain his NHL playing rights. There was certainly a chip on his shoulder after that experience and a desire to prove the Capitals — the club that drafted him in the first round back in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft — wrong.
His one-year bet turned out to be a good one. Samsonvo outperformed Matt Murray to become the team's starting goaltender in 2022-23. In 27 games, he compiled a record of 27-10-5 while posting a career-best .919 save percentage. which put him into a tie for seventh among qualified goaltenders. He was a big reason why the Maple Leafs went on to win their first playoff series in 19 years by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games during the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
How much will Samsonov sign for?
That's the multi-million dollar question. There's no doubt the Russian goaltender will be due for a substantial raise. Provided talks don't sour and the Maple Leafs do at least tender a qualifying offer, the goaltender has arbitration rights.
The arbitration walkaway number (the average annual value of an award) is $4,538,958. So any number less than that is what the Leafs would have to commit to. That AAV would be less than the $4.875 million Toronto is committed to for Murray for the upcoming season.
What may make things tough in the negotiations is the lack of a fair comparable. Samsonov played just 42 games in the regular season and injuries did limit him in the playoffs. Joseph Woll finished up the playoffs after Samsonov injured his neck in the series with the Florida Panthers.
What is the sweet spot? It's hard to know. There's no doubt Samsonov will want term this time around. Maybe that keeps the number down.
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