Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas changed the team’s goaltending in the offseason. Gone are Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. In their place are Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov.
Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs were hoping for a strong start by Matt Murray, but he has again found himself out with an injury. He will be out for a minimum of four weeks. His injury has allowed Toronto to place him on long-term injury reserve (LTIR), which has given them more salary cap flexibility.
Murray’s LTIR status allows Toronto to have Nick Robertson, Wayne Simmonds, and Victor Mete on the roster. All three got sent down to the AHL after preseason to make Toronto cap compliant. Placing Murray on LTIR gave GM Kyle Dubas $4.6 million to call up some extra bodies. The added players give head coach Sheldon Keefe more options with his lineup.
Losing a player for the long term is never ideal, but injuries happen. When a player gets injured, it’s up to others on the team to step up. While Murray is out, two players will benefit the most. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov and Nick Robertson.
Samsonov and Robertson Will Help the Toronto Maple Leafs
Samsonov is off to a good start this season with a 3-0-0 record.
He has a 1.96 GAA and a .927 SV%.
The Toronto Maple Leafs need him to carry the load while Murray is injured. So far, the 25-year-old looks good. Depending on how he plays between now and when Murray returns, Samsonov could become Toronto’s top goalie.
(Player stats from hockey-reference.com)
Robertson got a chance to play his first NHL game of the 2022-23 season on Thursday. He scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to help Toronto beat the Dallas Stars 3-2. It was a shame to see him get sent to the AHL after scoring seven points during the preseason. He proved to everyone on Thursday night that he belongs in the NHL.
Kyle Dubas made the right call by signing Samsonov – obviously hedging his bets with Murray’s injury history. With the added salary cap flexibility, it is nice to see Robertson called up and getting a chance to shine at the NHL level. Both Samsonov and Robertson have to make the most out of this opportunity.
The Toronto Maple Leafs next game is Saturday night against the Winnipeg Jets. Robertson and Samsonov will look to continue their hot start to the season.