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UPDATE: The Leafs have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year contract worth $1.8 million and forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year, $1 million deal.
Samsonov, 25, joins the Maple Leafs after four seasons with the Washington Capitals. In 89 career regular season games, the Magnitogorsk, Russia native owns a record of 52-22-8 with a 2.81 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and six shutouts. He owns a 2.98 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in eight career playoff appearances.
Aube-Kubel, 26, joins the Maple Leafs having split the 2021-22 season between the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche. Skating in 67 regular season games for Colorado, Aube-Kubel registered 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) and added 14 playoff appearances while becoming a Stanley Cup Champion. In 169 career NHL games, the Slave Lake, AB native has recorded 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) and 110 penalty minutes.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs started their off-season with the acquisition of goalie Matt Murray on Monday, but the question now is what will GM Kyle Dubas do when the free agent frenzy begins at 12 pm on Wednesday to reshape a club that has failed to advance past the opening round the last six seasons.
There have been few indications that the Leafs will do anything earth-shattering, such as dealing William Nylander or Jake Muzzin, but the names of Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl could be moved out with one year remaining on their contracts to clear cap space.
Toronto has $6.37 million in available cap space per Cap Friendly and has RFA’s in Pierre Engvall and Rasmus Sandin to re-sign. Goalie Jack Campbell and winger Ilya Mikheyev are likely headed elsewhere, while it is still possible that they bring back pending UFA’s Colin Blackwell, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Ondrej Kase (non-tendered).
Here is the list of what the Leafs may be looking for:
1. Goaltending depth – With the acquisition of Murray, it is imperative that Dubas adds a 1B goaltender capable of playing 30 to 35 games to lighten the workload on Murray. 25-year-old Ilya Samsonov is a surprising free agent after Washington did not qualify him and the Leafs could be interested, as well as former Leaf James Reimer, or former Hawk Kevin Lankinen.
2. Bottom six experience – Dubas will be looking to go bargain basement shopping for players to provide depth on the third and fourth line. Former Pittsburgh forward Zach Aston-Reese and former Bruin Noel Acciari could be low-cost targets, but this is where the Leafs found good contributors in Michael Bunting, Kase, and David Kampf last season and Dubas needs to hit it big here again.
3. Top-six left winger – This move is only possible if Toronto clears out Kerfoot and/or Holl to make space. Unlikely that a big name like Giroux(UFA) or JT Miller (one year away) will be coming the Leafs way, but there are enough possibilities out there that if Dubas sees the opportunity to make a bold impact move, he could surprise people.
Stay tuned….
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The Leafs made their first signing from the 2022 Draft class, inking goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday.
Hildeby, 20, was selected by Toronto in the fourth round (122nd overall) last week in Montreal, and skated in seven regular season games with Fà¤rjestad (SHL) during the 2021-22 season, posting a 1.93 goals against average and a .931 save percentage.
The average annual value of the contract is $843,330.