Ilya Samsonov

Ilya Samsonov and Toronto Maple Leafs can’t agree on contract, will head into arbitration

Former Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov and the Toronto Maple Leafs were not able to come to a contract resolution before Samsonov’s scheduled arbitration hearing on Friday. Now, a neutral ruling arbitrator will decide how much Samsonov will make during the 2023-24 campaign.

The Leafs had up until the second the hearing started to be able to come to an outside agreement with the Russian netminder but now that the hearing has begun the NHL’s CBA makes that no longer possible. And, because Samsonov is one year away from unrestricted free agency, the term for his new deal can only be a maximum of one year.

The Hockey News’ David Alter was first on the reporting.

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Ilya Samsonov reveals he injured neck in Game Three, hopes to re-sign with Toronto Maple Leafs

Ilya Samsonov wasn’t in net for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game Five on Friday. He wasn’t even playing backup, instead watching from above after an injury took him out of Game Three.

At the Leafs’ end-of-season media availability on Monday, Samsonov revealed he had suffered a neck injury on that play. He also spoke on his future plans as his one-year contract with the Leafs nears expiration.

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Ilya Samsonov helps Maple Leafs win first playoff series in 19 years with 31-save performance in Game Six victory

Ilya Samsonov and the Toronto Maple Leafs reached a milestone on Saturday night, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime to win their first-round series in Game Six. It marks the first time the Leafs have advanced to the second round since 2004.

Facing off against one of the league’s best goaltenders in Andrei Vasilevskiy, Samsonov held his own. In Game Six, he let in only a single goal on 32 Lightning shots and was named the Second Star of the Game. He held a .900 save percentage overall in the series and proved a key part of the team’s playoff success.

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Ilya Samsonov talks new fatherhood: ‘I feel perfect, you know?’

Former Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov and his wife Maria became parents last week, welcoming their son Miroslav into the world. After some time away for the birth, Samsonov returned to action with the Toronto Maple Leafs this week.

Samsonov has been all smiles when speaking about his son. He’s even found that Miroslav eases the pains of a rough loss.

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