Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: Samsonov and Woll Should Split Remaining Starts

By Jeremy Ridgewell

ELMONT, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 21: Joseph Woll #60 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on November 21, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 21: Joseph Woll #60 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on November 21, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Toronto Maple Leafs are without goaltender Matt Murray once again. Murray was injured during the game against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Detroit forward Lucas Raymond crashed into Murray from behind, resulting in Murray hitting his head on the ice. The Toronto Maple Leafs have listed Murray as day-to-day with no clear timetable for recovery.

In Murray’s absence, Toronto has called up Joseph Woll from the Toronto Marlies. He will serve as the backup to Ilya Samsonov.

With six games remaining in the regular season, I think Samsonov and Woll should split the games with three games each.

Toronto Maple Leafs Should Get Woll into Games

Overworking Samsonov before the playoffs is not ideal, as he is likely the starter for game one of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I would play Woll on April 6th against the Boston Bruins, April 11th against Tampa Bay, and April 13th against the New York Rangers.

Samsonov will play against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, the Montreal Canadiens on April 8th, and Florida Panthers on April 10th.

Three games should be enough to keep him game ready and fresh for the playoffs. Samsonov has won the starters role in Toronto, even if Murray was healthy. Woll has earned the chance for a few NHL games before both the AHL and NHL playoffs start.

Ilya Samsonov is having a great season for the Leafs. Heading into tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets, Samsonov has a 25-10-4 record with four shutouts through 39 games. He has missed some time due to injuries and the birth of his first child, but he is the Toronto Maple Leafs number-one goaltender. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Joseph Woll is playing well at both the AHL and NHL levels this season. He has a 16-4-1 record with the Toronto Marlies with a 2.37 GAA and a .927 SV%.

His record with the Maple Leafs is 3-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and a .934 SV%. Woll has stopped 113 of the 121 shots he’s faced at the NHL level. Look for him to finish this season on a high note and compete for a roster spot next season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Stats from eliteprospects.com)

Next. Time to Rest Star Players. dark

TheLeafs have had excellent goaltending this season. Should Murray not be able to compete in round one of the NHL playoffs, I think they will be perfectly fine with the tandem of Samsonov and Woll.

Home/Maple Leafs News