Just In: Arbiter decides Maple Leafs' Ilya Samsonov's next contract

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was one of 22 NHL players to file for salary arbitration, and his fate has been decided.

Moments ago, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that an arbiter has awarded Samsonov a deal worth $3.55 million, a considerable raise on the $1.8 million that he made last season.

According to reports, Samsonov and his camp were seeking just under $5 million a season, while the Leafs had been countering with $2.4 million. 

His 2022-23 record of 27-10-5 with a 2.33 goals against average and .919 save percentage was about as good a performance as anyone could have expected, and while his postseason numbers weren't stellar, he was still able to out-duel former Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in Round 1. 

The ball is now in Leafs general manager Brad Treliving's court.

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