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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a number of issues that in the minds of many prevent them from being a serious Stanley Cup contender. Consistency issues throughout their lineup and defensive proficiency are near the top of those concerns, but the stability of their goaltending has been front and center since the injury to Joseph Woll against Ottawa on December 9th.
Since then, the Leafs have a 4-4-3 record and have allowed four or more goals in six of the 11 games. Veteran Martin Jones has provided Toronto with competent play between the pipes (3-3-0, 2.64 GAA, .916 save %) since, which has allowed the club to keep their head above water, but Ilya Samsonov’s poor season has turned abysmal since the Woll injury and forced the Leafs to make a move that would have been unthinkable a month ago, placing him on waivers and recalling Dennis Hildeby from the AHL Toronto Marlies on Monday.
Samsonov since December 9 has gone 1-1-3, with a 4.64 GAA, and .828 save %, but even those poor statistics are not reflective of how badly the 26-year-old has played. His last three starts against two clubs at the bottom of the NHL standings (Columbus and Buffalo) have resulted in 17 goals against, being pulled against the Sabres in a 9-3 rout on December 21 and the loss of two games in overtime to the Blue Jackets, one in which the Leafs came back from a 5-0 third period deficit and the other in which they held a two-goal lead on two occasions in the second period.
The 22-year-old Hildeby has performed very well this season for the Marlies (7-5-3, 2.20 GAA, .919 save %), but has only played 18 games since coming to North America from the SHL in April 2023. This act of desperation is to buy time for Toronto until Woll can return, but he is not expected to be back from his high-ankle sprain until after the All-Star break and that type of injury (especially with a goaltender) cannot be rushed back from.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated on HNIC’s Saturday Headlines that the Leafs are not anxious to get into the expensive goaltender trade market, since Woll is likely to be their primary starter from that point on, but based on the uncertainty regarding Samsonov, it does not sound as if Toronto is making any assumptions of him being helpful in the near future.
Samsonov will undoubtedly clear waivers on Monday, and Hildeby likely will make his first NHL start against Anaheim on Wednesday. The Leafs play 13 games in January, with three back-to-backs. Reports indicate that Samsonov will not play in the AHL immediately and that the demotion is in hopes that he can get his head on straight.
Toronto has to be leery of how former Leaf Jack Campbell’s situation has played out in Edmonton. Campbell was sent to AHL Bakersfield in November to “get his game back” and has played so badly since, that they cannot risk bringing him back for fear of it costing them their playoff hopes.
The scenario may be to have Hildeby play in the January back-to-backs and get Woll back in February because simply Samsonov in his current state cannot be depended on.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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