Sheldon Keefe provides a health update on Ilya Samsonov, who left practice early in some discomfort
Leafs Nation held its collective breath on Friday when it was announced that Ilya Samsonov had left practice in some discomfort. After getting hit with a shot up high, Samsonov left the ice and spent some time with trainers on the bench at Ford Performance Centre before making his way back to the locker room, effectively ending his day early.
Naturally, with the 2023-24 home opener taking place this upcoming Wednesday, there was some concern over where Samsonov would be healthy enough to start the season. It didn't take long for the media to probe for answers after practice when they spoke with Sheldon Keefe.
Thankfully, Keefe already had an update ready for the media, calming everyone's nerves and informing the reporters who were present that Samsonov is "fine".
Goalies deal with bumps and bruises all the time, many of which they can play through and some they can't. With this being the type of issue that didn't require much attention after the fact, Keefe appears to have no concerns whatsoever with his starting netminder.
Samsonov had spent a couple of stints on IR last season, including in the postseason series against Florida, so, naturally, there were some durability concerns there. However, Keefe coming out and stating publicly that he's okay, the fans should sleep a little better knowing that the ailment is minor.
Joseph Woll is expected to start tomorrow's pre-season finale against the Red Wings and get the full 60 minutes.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 6 | 166 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe provides a health update on Ilya Samsonov, who left practice early in some discomfort Will Ilya Samsonov post a better save percentage this season than he did last season? (.919 SV%) | ||
| Yes | 78 | 47 % |
| No | 88 | 53 % |
| List of polls | ||
