Ilya Samsonov's reaction to the Leafs trading for his friend Ilya Lyubushkin
Ilya Lyubushkin has some previous experience in playing in Toronto, so when he was acquired by the Leafs on Thursday, it's safe to say that there was an aura of excitement around the Leafs locker room, behind the bench and in the front office, knowing they're getting someone who is familiar with the team, the city and knows what to expect coming in.
GM Brad Treliving and head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke their piece on Friday about the return of Lyubushkin to Toronto, but another member of the team, goaltender Ilya Samsonov, is a little extra excited for the trade, due to he and Lyubushkin actually being quite close off the ice.
On Friday, Samsonov was asked about the Leafs acquiring his friend. Samsonov was not a Leaf the last time Lyubushkin came through town and the two have not been teammates during their time in the NHL, so he was obviously pleasantly surprised to hear that Lyubushkin was coming to town.
Lyubushkin and Samsonov have known one another for a number of years and Samsonov even revealed that the two train together in the offseason in Florida. Needless to say, by his comments and the look of pure joy on his face, Samsonov is thrilled to have Lyubushkin re-joining the Leafs. It doesn't hurt that "Boosh" will punish anyone who tries to take liberties on his goalie and friend when he's out on the ice.
Lyubushkin still has to get his visa situation sorted out, so there's no guarantee that he'll be in the lineup tonight against the Rangers, but it's safe to say that Keefe and Samsonov will both be hoping that his visa comes through and that he'll be available. Otherwise, it will be six lefties tonight again for the Leafs.
| POLL | ||
MARS 2 | 562 ANSWERS Ilya Samsonov's reaction to the Leafs trading for his friend Ilya Lyubushkin How many of the Leafs' 23 remaining games will Ilya Samsonov start? | ||
| 12-15 | 172 | 30.6 % |
| 7-11 | 347 | 61.7 % |
| 4-6 | 43 | 7.7 % |
| 0-3 | 0 | 0 % |
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