The Toronto Maple Leafs have high hopes for the 2023-24 season. Those hopes rest on the shoulders of Ilya Samsonov. No matter how good or bad the team in front of him performs, he needs to come up big when they need him. As the number one goaltender, he is the last line of defense most nights.
Samsonov posted a 27-10-5 record for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He will need to be even better this season. Although his predecessor Frederik Andersen had three seasons with over 30 wins, Andersen never helped the Leafs win a playoff round.