Sheldon Keefe Has Some Surprising Words About Ilya Samsonov
The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to find a consistent answer in goal during the competitive window.
Last season the Maple Leafs seemed to get a couple of encouraging signs that their goaltending issues were a thing of the past. Now new comments from head coach Sheldon Keefe have fans and media worried.
Keefe Has Surprising Words About Samsonov
Ilya Samsonov is the presumed starter for the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the season. Recent comments from head coach Sheldon Keefe have fans worried that Samsonov has the confidence of Keefe. In a recent interview, Keefe made some cryptic comments about Samsonov and his play in the preseason.
While Keefe's comments could mean that Samsonov can't be satisfied with where he's at, they could also be more worrying. Keefe doesn't mention the things that need to be tightened up leaving fans to speculate.
If Samsonov struggles out of the gate due to whatever Keefe thinks needs to be tightened up it could really harm the Leafs.
Where Do The Maple Leafs Turn If Samsonov Struggles?
With Ilya Samsonov being the expected starter many have not worried about the goaltender position this offseason. If he struggles though the Maple Leafs need to have a contingency plan.
The first option is, of course, Joseph Woll. Woll played only 7 NHL games this past season. In those 7 games, he was fantastic with a 2.16 goals-against average and a 0.932 save percentage. While these numbers are fantastic handing the keys to a Stanley Cup contender to a player with 11 total NHL games is a huge risk.
The other option for the Leafs is veteran Martin Jones. Jones is the opposite of Woll almost completely. He brings experience to the position but his statistics and performance have been quite poor in recent years. Other than these two players Toronto would have to look outside the organization to find their solution.
As the season ramps up Ilya Samsonov will be watched closely to see if he can handle the pressure of being the Maple Leafs main starter.
| POLL | ||
Will Ilya Samsonov keep his starting job with the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 240 | 50.6 % |
| No | 234 | 49.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
