Ilya Samsonov
When Ilya Samsonov first joined the Leafs as a free agent during the 2022 offseason, he brought new hope and excitement to the club.
Not only were the fans attracted to his smile and witty character, but Samsonov finally gave the Leafs some stability in the net by putting together a strong first season with the team. He went 27-10-5 with a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage in 42 games played while helping the Maple Leafs reach the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in almost two decades.
However, Samsonov ran into some unexpected struggles during his second year with the team. In fact, it got so bad that the Leafs actually had to put him on waivers to send him down to the Toronto Marlies to get his game back on track.
In the end, he came back to finish off the season with Toronto, but put up less-than-stellar numbers with a 3.13 GAA and .890 save percentage despite a 23-7-8 record. As a result, the Leafs let him walk to become a free agent upon the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, as he eventually landed with the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of the 2024-25 season.
So far this year, Samsonov has continued his struggles in rediscovering his game, posting a 3-2-1 record with a 3.15 GAA and .897 save percentage in six games with the Golden Knights serving as their backup.
On the other hand, his current replacement on the Leafs in Anthony Stolarz has been nothing short of sensational thus far. With a dominant 7-3-2 record, along with a 2.18 GAA and .927 save percentage, he has given the Maple Leafs a chance to win every night.
Without the departure of Samsonov, there would not have been the addition of Stolarz, and who knows where Toronto would have been this year without that happening.