![]() On a good night, Samsonov would grab two, maybe three hours of sleep. When Samsonov would collapse in his bed after games, he was overcome with anxiety about what had transpired hours earlier. However, there were mental obstacles to showing it. He believed he was a better goalie than the results indicated. He allowed three goals or more in four of his first five games of the season. Samsonov’s game faltered out of the gates. Arbitration robbed him of his confidence. Through training camp and the beginning of the regular season, the oft-gregarious Samsonov appeared more reticent in front of the cameras. The team and the player submitted two figures and the independent arbitrator sided slightly with the Leafs’ offer and Samsonov was given a one-year, $3.55-million contract. The emotionally draining arbitration hearing left Samsonov questioning himself and his future. ![]() Such was the way his attitude and improved game landed with a fanbase desperate for a goalie to love. If the Leafs had printed “Have some smiles,” Samsonov’s goofy but relatable catchphrase, across t-shirts the Leafs’ playoff revenue might have jumped even more. This presented a wild about-face for Samsonov, who often appeared to be the least stressed Leaf last season. “I thought about my contract all summer,” he said. After his best NHL season to date, pushing the Leafs to their first playoff series win since 2004, the then-restricted free agent elected to go to arbitration.īut arbitration weighed more heavily than he ever let on. If you want to understand when Samsonov began to sink as low as he did this season, July 21, 2023, is probably a decent place to start. ![]() 907 save percentage during that stretch.Īnd for the first time this season, Samsonov is smiling again, and able to reflect on what he calls the “worst situation” of his career. He has played his best hockey of the season, winning nine of his last 11 games with a. Yet Samsonov has not just returned to the Leafs. “You think about (retirement) sometimes, especially after (going on) waivers. You think about retiring,” Samsonov said. On the inside, the questions were similar. 31.įrom the outside, it was worth wondering if the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie would ever play in the NHL again. His performances and his mental space became so damaged he was placed on waivers on Dec. After an inspiring first season in Toronto, Samsonov’s game took a turn for the worse earlier this year. There was a time, not long ago, when the downward turn in Samsonov’s hockey career meant he could not see anything in front of him that clearly. “It’s unbelievable, and special to see for us as parents,” Samsonov said of him and his wife, Maria.
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