When the Toronto Maple Leafs landed Ilya Samsonov in the summer of 2022, a lot of talk around the goaltender was his small sample size and lack of experience. After all, in three seasons with the Washington Capitals to start his career, he had played just 89 games during the regular season.
In those 89 games, he posted a record of 52-22-8 with a .902 save percentage (SV%) and 2.81 goals against average (GAA). So it’s understandable why some were unsure of what to expect from the then 25-year-old in a media-heavy market like Toronto.
However, just under two seasons into his stint with the Maple Leafs and Samsonov has given Maple Leafs’ fans a reason to be excited about what he can offer the team — including a big milestone night for the 27-year-old on Monday against the divisional rival, the Florida Panthers.
Samsonov Reaches Century Mark
It may not have been pretty, but on April 1 against the Panthers, Samsonov notched his 100th career regular season win. It was also his 21st win of the season — giving him three seasons of over 20 wins in just five seasons in the NHL.
As for the milestone, the win gives Samsonov a career record of 100-38-20 in just 167 career games. The mark earned the Maple Leafs’ goaltender a spot in the top-20 fastest goaltenders to ever record 100 wins in NHL history — putting him as the 16th fastest goalie to do so.
Over his time with the Maple Leafs, his numbers have also improved overall, with Samsonov sporting a .907 SV% and 2.66 GAA in his 78 games with the blue and white. He’s also donned a .587 quality start percentage during his two seasons with the Maple Leafs — albeit his milestone win was anything but quality.
Still, at this point, Samsonov’s career is trending in the right direction.
Samsonov’s Future Is Unclear But Bright
Prior to this season, his future with the Maple Leafs was a little up in the air. He was a restricted free agent, but the team and Samsonov were able to figure it out in arbitration — landing at $3.55 million for one year. Now, once again, his next step remains a question mark.
Beyond this season, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent and his play — while inconsistent early in the season — has plateaued in a good place during the second half of the season.
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That said, the feeling within the franchise seems to be that Joseph Woll is the option moving forward given that he was a draft pick of the Maple Leafs and seems to have developed into a relatively good everyday starter when he’s healthy.
So, what does that mean for Samsonov?
Well, he’s tied in 17th in the NHL in wins (21) and his other numbers have climbed significantly from where they were when he was sent down to the AHL Toronto Marlies earlier in the year.
Regardless, his future remains unclear for the time being which means that Samsonov will have to continue to play each game like he’s in need of a contract and that could catapult him towards the next milestone of 200 wins and maintain his spot among the fastest in NHL history to reach the next milestone.
