In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at goalie Ilya Samsonov’s arbitration as well as share how well he played with the Maple Leafs last season.
Second, I’ll review John Tavares’ time with the team and share that the Maple Leafs’ captain is approaching the 1000-point milestone this season. He now sits with 975 career points. I’ll also share a recent story that shows how he prioritizes integrity over individual achievement.
Third, I’ll look at the milestones that Auston Matthews will likely hit this season. He’s nearing the 600-point plateau.
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Finally, I’ll share something I hadn’t thought about but read during my recent research. That’s the connection between defenseman Erik Karlsson and new Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager (GM) Jason Spezza from their time together playing with the Ottawa Senators. That connection has sparked rumors that Karlsson might land with the Penguins.
Item One: Today Samsonov’s Ruling Is Supposed to Come Down
Samsonov’s arbitration decision is supposed to come down this weekend. As Maple Leafs’ fans know, the organization put in their number at $2.4 million, while his agent countered with $4.9 million. The arbitrator can choose any amount within that range. However, the expectation is that Samsonov’s contract will likely fall in a range between $3.75 to $4 million for one year.
The thing about Samsonov is that he’s proven to be surprisingly good for the Maple Leafs. In fact, I can recall during the postseason that Hockey Night in Canada analyst Elliotte Friedman noted that he had spoken with people in the Washington Capitals’ organization who told him that Samsonov had never played as well with them as he has in Toronto.
Last season, Samsonov was impressive. Both he and Matt Murray were acquired by former GM Kyle Dubas during the previous offseason. Murray’s season was up and down, marked by injuries, and overall was a sad story of a former great goalie not being able to stay in the game. In retrospect, the Maple Leafs were fortunate to have Samsonov step up at just the right time.
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In total, the young Russian goalie put up an outstanding record of 27-10-5, with a strong goals-against average (GAA) of 2.33, and an impressive save percentage (SV%) of .919. It will be interesting how the relationship between the two entities – Samsonov and the Maple Leafs’ organization – survives the arbitration hearing. I hear it can be deflating for the players involved.
Should Samsonov continue to play well for the Maple Leafs, he’s headed toward a career milestone. Right now, he stands at 79 career wins; and, with only 21 more, he’ll hit the 100-win mark. He had 27 wins last season, so he looks like a lock – that is unless there’s a significant setback in his play or he gets injured.
Item Two: John Tavares Moving Up the NHL Points List
This will be Tavares’ sixth season with the Maple Leafs. While fans believe he’s overpaid – and perhaps they have a point – he has been a consistent point-per-game player during his first five seasons with the team. While he might be a bit quiet as the captain in this market, he’s truly one of the good guys in my books. Toronto is a demanding environment in which to play.
About a week ago, The Hockey News carried the story of Tavares’ honesty. It seems that, during the 2014-15 NHL season, he was in contention for the Art Ross Trophy, which is the award given to the NHL player who leads the league in points at the end of the regular season. Although he was only a single point away from winning the award, Tavares asked the team’s communications vice president, Kimber Auerbach, to check video footage to see if he deserved assists on two goals.
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
When it was confirmed that he shouldn’t have been awarded the points, he asked to have them removed from his total. Tavares had prioritized integrity over his own individual accolades. That’s the kind of character he demonstrates as a leader both on and off the ice.
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At the end of last season, after an impressive 80 points in 80 games, Tavares had put up 975 career points. He should be able to hit the 1000-point milestone during the 2023-24 season. That would give him 354 points in 360 games with the Maple Leafs and put him in 26th in all-time franchise scoring.
Item Three: A Down Season for Auston Matthews Is Still Good
During the 2022-23 season, Matthews had what was considered to be a down season. Still, he managed to score 40 goals and add 45 assists (for 85 points) in 74 games. Obviously, that seems like a drop-off when compared to his exceptional 60-goal season in 2021-22. However, his productivity was remarkable. And, all that happened as he played through a wrist injury during the season.
By the end of last season, Matthews had put up 542 career points. By doing so, he passed Maple Leafs greats such as Tim Horton, Lanny MacDonald, Tomas Kaberle, and Rick Vaive on the franchise’s all-time points list. He now stands 11th in franchise scoring, just 12 points behind teammate Mitch Marner’s 554 points.
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He’s also tied with Vaive for fifth place in franchise history with 299 goals. Matthews’ first goal in the 2023-24 season will be the 300th goal of his career. If he can score at least 34 goals this season (which matches his lowest single-season number achieved in 2017-18), he’ll pass Vaive on the all-time goal-scoring list and move up to fourth place. In addition, he needs only 58 points to hit the 600-point milestone during the season.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Interesting, and I admit I didn’t think about this, it seems that among the teams that Karlsson is speaking with are the Penguins. The connection between him and former Maple Leafs’ player and assistant GM Jason Spezza seems to have greased the wheel.
I had forgotten that Spezza and Karlsson were teammates with the Senators for several seasons between 2009 and 2013. Should he land with the Penguins, Karlsson would give the team an offensive jolt.
The word is that he’s spoken with the Maple Leafs, but then GM Brad Treliving speaks with everyone. A trade to the Maple Leafs seems unlikely unless someone like William Nylander goes the other way.