Many were surprised that the Leafs and Ilya Samsonov failed to come to an agreement on a new deal before Friday's 9am hearing. It seemed like both Samsonov and the Leafs were eager to extend what had been a successful relationship last season. Unfortunately, because negotiations went to arbitration, Samsonov's new deal is only 1 year.
While most arbitration awards are announced rather quickly after the hearings take place, for some reason this one wasn't announced until the last possible moment before the deadline passed. Samsonov will be paid $3.55 million this season, a fair deal that probably favours the Leafs when you look at his comparables. He will then be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Taking Samsonov's young age, the performance we've seen from him since joining the Leafs, and the fact that the UFA goalie class next season is thin at the top, the Leafs should be trying to extend the 26 year old Russian as soon as possible. With Woll and Samsonov as the tandem for the foreseeable future, the Leafs would be well set up for the future.
