Ilya Samsonov is OK after all.
The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender appeared to suffer a serious injury on the Edmonton Oilers’ third goal late in regulation Saturday night. Samsonov was sprawled face-first on the ice afterward and had to be helped to the dressing room.
Samsonov looks to be hurt after the Draisaitl goal pic.twitter.com/Kd7PTdEYgq
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 24, 2024
“It looks like he’s going to be fine,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It’s not anything near what it appeared or what I thought it might have been.”
Samsonov ended up with the win.
He’s now 14-3-1 in his last 18 starts.
It’s been quite the turnaround for Samsonov, who was out of the league to start 2024 after being placed on and then clearing waivers. It was only a week ago that he appeared to suffer another injury at the Leafs’ morning skate. He was deemed to be fine and played that night in an eventual shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
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It doesn’t appear as though he’ll travel to Carolina for the Leafs’ Sunday night game against the Hurricanes, though. Samsonov’s gear remained in his stall at Scotiabank Arena in an otherwise empty dressing room. (He might not have made the trip regardless, though.)
Joseph Woll is expected to start against the Hurricanes, and third goalie Martin Jones figures to be the backup.
Required reading
• Inside Ilya Samsonov’s break from the Maple Leafs that got his career back on track
• Siegel: The Maple Leafs can’t play Ilya Samsonov any longer
• Johnston: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving on deadline approach, Ilya Samsonov and playoff mentality
(Photo: John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)
