The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the most talented lineups in hockey, and for some time, their struggles in net have been their undoing, but now, they may have a goaltender they can finally believe in.
Ilya Samsonov
Debuting with Toronto in 2022-23 after years with the Washington Capitals, Ilya Samsonov stepped up and made his presence known all throughout the year, solidifying himself as the teams starting goaltender.
On the season, Samsonov posted an impressive 27-10-5 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA, and now it looks like he could be verging on elite numbers.
One of the best in the league?
On a recent poll conducted by Twitter's JFresh, he asked followers to vote on the best goaltender in the league, and while the usual suspects were at the top, Samsonov came in at No. 14.
Samsonov comes in over the likes of Adin Hill, Tristan Jarry and Carter Hart, and while this season will give us more of an idea of just how good he can be, it's hard to argue with the voters here.
Is Samsonov a top-15 goalie in the NHL right now?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Maple Leafs reporter addresses rumours of Mitch Marner's trade list