Net result for Leafs roster this summer is to add goalie depth
From opening day of training camp to Saturday’s elimination goal, netminding refused to go away as a hot topic in Toronto.
Matt Murray’s bilateral hip surgery, Joseph Woll’s growing pains, Ilya Samsonov’s December dip, Martin Jones’ rescue mission, Sammy’s eventual salvation, the rise and fall of Woll set up an eventful playoff for the latter duo.
Samsonov was pulled in Game 4, watched his younger partner dazzle in two wins, only for Woll to get hurt at the 59:59 mark of Game 6.
Samsonov was thrust into the Game 7 cauldron on Causeway Street and made one fatal error, not playing a doorstep dump-in that David Pastrnak buried.
While there was actually more stability than past years, where some coaches can pencil in Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros and Alexander Georgiev for 60 games and sleep soundly, Sheldon Keefe really had that security only in February and March when a revived Samsonov’s .926 save percentage was among the league leaders.
But that Game 7 goal will sting Sammy all summer — if he returns. All Leafs goalies not named Woll are unrestricted free agents.
The Russian settled for a one-year arbitration contract of $3.55 million when incoming general manager Brad Treliving astutely decided he wanted to see more than just 27 wins from his first year as a Leaf before offering more term.
Jones was a good soldier, but the intriguing question is what happens to Murray, who spent a year under the Leafs’ medical team care and recovered to make two starts with the Marlies last month. He won’t be earning $4.687 million, but he’s not yet turned 30 and could still help some team with his Stanley Cup resume.
Best scenario is the entry level Woll ($766,667 in ’24-25) wins the No. 1 job and two reasonably priced backups emerge from the current pool or elsewhere, one for the Leafs, one on stand-by with the Marlies to tutor second-year AHLer Dennis Hildeby.
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