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Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free agent goaltender Ilya Samsonov (who filed for salary arbitration last week) had his hearing date set for July 21. The 26-year-old had a career year 27-10-5 record, 2.33 GAA, and .919 save % last season and led the Leafs past the Tampa Bay Lightning for their first playoff series victory in 19 seasons.
After not being qualified and signed by Toronto to a one-year, $1.8 million deal last summer, Samsonov is one year away from unrestricted free agency, which means he will get a one-year deal out of arbitration or agree to a settlement for one year or more.
The Leafs are likely to want a one-year deal with Samsonov that will walk him to free agency since that will keep the salary ask reasonably low, but it is possible that the two sides could agree on a longer-term deal if the salary ask is reasonable.
The range on a settlement is likely to be between $3.5-to-4.5 million, putting Samsonov’s cap hit in the same neighborhood as the buyout of Matt Murray’s final season.
The Leafs save $4 million in cap space in year one if they buy out Murray, but indications are that GM Brad Treliving is still trying to deal the two-time Cup winner before the second buyout window opens after Samsonov’s arbitration decision or settlement agreement.
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There are a number of veteran backup goalies looking for landing spots, and a blurb in Larry Brooks “Slapshots… column indicated that the Leafs might have interest in veteran Brian Elliott.
The Newmarket, ON native, played the last two seasons in Tampa Bay backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy, and played one season under GM Brad Treliving in Calgary. With Erik Kallgren departing to New Jersey as a free agent, and Matt Murray likely being traded or bought out, Elliott could be an option as a third goalie with Samsonov and Joseph Woll as the tandem in Toronto.
There is little chance that Woll would be able to get through waivers now that he is not exempt, but the 38-year-old Elliott on a one-way deal could get through and be an experienced standby if an injury occurs.