Leafs head coach wants struggling goaltender traded after another brutal performance
Photo credit: NHL
For the third time in two weeks, the Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Columbus Blue Jackets last night. For the second time in 3 meetings, Ilya Samsonov gave up 6 goals, this time on just 21 shots. It is the fourth time in as many starts that Samsonov has given up four or more goals, with the Leafs losing all four of those games. Following the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about Samsonov's performance and, at first, he defended the former first round pick.
"If you play that game over 100 times, you probably win it 99 times, but you can't make those types of mistakes with how Samsonov is going through it right now. We can't make those kinds of mistakes. We have to support him better there. But we scored five. You should win that game nearly every time."
While Keefe initially supported Samsonov, he was asked a follow-up question about where the Leafs go from here in regards to goaltending and he did not mince words including a plea to GM Brad Treliving about finding someone or something to stop pucks.
"You are already into your third goalie with Marty Jones here. Now you are starting to get into our guys that are developing. You have to think about them and putting them in positions to succeed and not derail their development that is going well. At the same time, it is the NHL. We need saves. We need points. We need wins. I am sure Tre is going to consider everything."
Clearly Keefe is as fed up with the inconsistency and poor play and you can be sure that Treliving heard his message loud and clear. While Treliving will likely increase his efforts on the trade market for a goalie, Keefe may have hindered his GM's ability to find a deal as teams now know the Leafs are desperate and will look for a king's ransom in return.
The Leafs were hoping the Christmas break would help Samsonov reset mentally, but that clearly hasn't happened. Of 60 goalies that have played at least 10 games, he is 59th out of 60 this season with an .862 save percentage and it is almost a miracle that he has just 2 regulation losses. It will only be a matter of time until we have a clearer picture of what the Leafs' plans are for Samsonov going forward.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 30 | 1222 ANSWERS Leafs head coach wants struggling goaltender traded after another brutal performance Is Samsonov's time with the Leafs coming to an end? | ||
| Yes, it's been over for a while | 1143 | 93.5 % |
| No, the Leafs need him while Woll is hurt | 79 | 6.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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