Why Maple Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov is a worthy Masterton pick

TORONTO — When Ilya Samsonov was at his lowest, there was no smile.

There was, however, honesty and a promise.

“If I said I feel great, it’s not the truth. I feel s---,” the candid goaltender said after a practice in suburban Nashville in late October, when he was lost in a string of losses and early-season mercy pulls. “But it’s a piece of my life. I’m a guy who’s going to be fighting through this. I will be fighting every day. 

“I know I’m better goalie than this.”

And again: “It’s hard time for me, but I will be figuring out this.”

That vow — to figure it out, to be a better goalie — appeared admirable but desperate at the time. And it felt, to many, like it would go unfulfilled at New Year's, when Samsonov's struggles had plummeted his save percentage to second-worst of all NHL goaltenders, he'd been passed by both rookie Joseph Woll and journeyman Martin Jones on the depth chart, and he cleared waivers untouched.

Who would have bet then that the affable Russian they call "Sammy" would indeed fight through this and figure it out?

That a break from the NHL grind, a clear head, some solo practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending experts, and a heart-to-heart with Dad — flying over to Russia to help shake his son out of his funk — would all conspire to get the pending free agent back on track?

Well, Ilya Samsonov is indeed back to his glove-windmilling, smiling, joking self. 

And he has earned the Toronto Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association's honour of being nominated for the 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy recognizing the NHL player who best exemplifies "sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to hockey."   

The 27-year-old has flipped his frown of a season upside-down, posting a sparkling 16-3-1 record since Jan. 21 with a pair of shutouts. His save percentage in March: .926.

What a reversal. What perseverance. What a story.

"Oh, man. That's been really fun to watch," says teammate Ryan Reaves, who knows what it's like to fall out of the lineup and work your way back. 

"You know, to go through a stretch like he did — and obviously you could kind of see it on him, where he was getting frustrated — and to be able to turn around and play like he has been, it's unbelievable. And it's really been a big boost to our team, too. Good on him for grinding through. Because when you go through a stretch like that, it can really ruin a season. And I feel like it's made him stronger."

So much stronger, Samsonov pitched a first-star shutout Saturday in Buffalo, avenging the Maple Leafs' embarrassing 9-3 Christmastime loss that had observers calling for a demotion and wondering about the goalie's future in the NHL.

When he was reminded of that low point, Samsonov simply smiled and shrugged off his troubling past with faux amnesia: "Nine goals? F--- that s---. I feel good right now. That's long time ago. I don't remember."

Well, Leafs fans certainly won't forget Sammy's wild ride this season, which has brought him all the way back to No. 1 status as the club's presumptive Game 1 starter, with a shot to win another playoff series.

On Monday, Samsonov secured his 100th win, becoming the 16th-fastest NHL goalie to do so.

"He's certainly building a lot of momentum," coach Sheldon Keefe says. "He's the goalie of record to help us win the first playoff series in a really long time here in this city."

Each of the NHL’s 32 cities nominates a Masterton candidate, the award originating in 1968 in honour of hardworking Minnesota North Star Bill Masterton, who died because of an accidental head injury in a game.

Previous Maple Leafs nominees include Mark Giordano, Morgan Rielly, Zach Hyman, and 2008 Masterton winner Jason Blake. 

The full PHWA votes on the winner as part of the NHL’s 2024 awards ceremony.