The National Hockey League Players’ Association has released the schedule for arbitration hearings, set to take place from July 20th to August 4th. Among the players filing for arbitration is Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltender Ilya Samsonov. He’s the only Maple Leafs player to file, and the reason, according to one source was that the filing triggers a second buyout period for the team once the case is settled.
Frank Seravalli, speaking on the DFO Podcast, mentioned that the Leafs and Samsonov’s camp are not significantly apart in negotiations. It appears that the decision to file for arbitration was a strategic move, providing the team with more flexibility in the future. Seravalli said: “I don’t think the #LeafsForever and Samsonov’s camp are that far off. I feel like this was one of those…hey, you file for arbitration and that will give us a bit more flexibility later.”
In other words, the two sides came to an agreement that if the netminder does this for them now, it opens up options later that benefit Samsonov down the line.
Samsonov, a restricted free agent, is scheduled for his arbitration hearing on Friday, July 21st. However, there are indications (more like the two sides are just chilling) that an agreement might be reached before the hearing date. After an impressive debut season with the Maple Leafs, where he achieved a 27-10-5 record in 42 games and maintained a .919 save percentage, Samsonov opted for arbitration. His previous salary of $1.8 million is expected to receive a substantial increase and the two sides needed to figure out salary and term. Seravalli is suggesting that might have been a while ago.
Reports suggest that the 26-year-old goaltender is seeking a salary between $4 million and $5 million AAV, surpassing his previous earnings.
Maple Leafs Making Moves in Goal
In light of the upcoming arbitration hearing and the uncertainties surrounding it, the Maple Leafs have been linked to veteran goaltender Brian Elliott as a potential backup option. Additionally, there have been discussions about the Leafs exploring trade possibilities, but they have a contingency plan involving a buyout if a favorable trade agreement cannot be reached. The timing of Samsonov’s arbitration filing aligns with the organization’s internal plans, as suggested by Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.
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