Report: Maple Leafs won't commit long term to Ilya Samsonov

It won't be very much longer before fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs find out whether or not goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who is coming off a successful first season in Toronto after coming over from the Washington Capitals, will be back for another go-around.

He's one of the several players that have decided to file for salary arbitration, and while there is still time for him to agree to a new deal prior to his arbitration hearing, the latest news from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman indicates that the Leafs are not interested in a long term deal for the Russian goaltender, and are allegedly looking to only sign him to three years maximum. 

Samsonov, who was inked by now-former general manager Kyle Dubas last offseason, went 27-10-5 with a 2.33 goals against average and .919 save percentage in 2022-23. He also helped the Leafs win a postseason series for the first time since 2004, a thrilling six game series win over the rival Tampa Bay Lightning.

His deal for last season was a one year pact worth $1.8 million.

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