Leafs forcing the media to play some guessing games; 4 goaltenders practicing on Monday
When the Leafs made the move to acquire goaltender Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators this summer and then subsequently signed Ilya Samsonov as a UFA, I don't think anyone in the organization would have assumed that 3rd string goaltender Erik Kallgren would be starting half of their games through the first 16 dates of the season.
Kallgren has actually handled himself amicably under the circumstances, but thanks to next to no goal support, he finds himself with a 2-2-3 record so far this season, though he was able to secure 7 of a possible 10 points over his last 5 appearances, if you count his performance against the Boston Bruins coming in in relief of the injured Ilya Samsonov last weekend as a technical win for the Swedish netminder.
We knew coming into this week that Matt Murray was very close to being ready to make his return to the lineup and with Ilya Samsonov also attending practice on Monday, that makes 4 Leafs goaltenders for only 2 NHL roster positions. Simply put, something has to give here.
It's likely that we'll see Keith Petruzzelli sent down to the Marlies at some point today or tomorrow - that is, if Murray is indeed good to go. If the Leafs opt to exercise a little more patience, we could yet see Petruzzelli and Kallgren hold the fort for the Buds in Pittsburgh as well.
The plan for Samsonov was to practice with the team on Monday before the coaching staff and goalie department set a course for his eventual return. All signs point to Samsonov likely being sidelined for at least another couple of games and possibly the remainder of the week - but really, it's all about how his knee responds. He is eligible to be activated off of IR at any point this week after fulfilling the 7-day IR timeline requirement this weekend.
I'd imagine that we'll have some more clarity on the Leafs' goaltending situation either this afternoon or tomorrow following the morning skate in Pittsburgh.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 14 | 222 ANSWERS Leafs forcing the media to play some guessing games; 4 goaltenders practicing on Monday Will Murray and Samsonov both return this week? | ||
| Yes | 65 | 29.3 % |
| No | 50 | 22.5 % |
| Murray yes, Samsonov no | 107 | 48.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
