The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending situation has become an area of concern for the team with Ilya Samsonov struggling to regain his form from last season.
This has put the Leafs in a position to rely on Martin Jones, the third netminder on their depth chart, to hold the fort down.
With Joseph Woll sidelined long-term with an ankle injury, the Leafs don't have many options to consider unless they explore a trade which it appears they are open to.
"I do believe that Toronto has dipped its toes into the goaltending market," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada. "I don't expect anything to happen right when the freeze ends. I think their hope is that Samsonov just gets a few days away, and they continue to work with them."
Friedman also points out that while Dennis Hildeby has impressed in his rookie season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs don't want to interrupt his development.
Samsonov currently has a 5-2-5 record with a 3.79 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage and has been pulled on three occasions.
When it comes to finding a trade partner for some relief in net, Friedman says teams aren't offering a helping hand.
"The teams that have the goaltending surplus, they know it and what they're asking for is a lot, especially if retention is involved," Friedman explains. "I just think all these teams out here that are looking for goaltenders just find that they're being extorted a little bit."
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