Ilya Samsonov breaks silence on being waived by Maple Leafs

Despite a nightmare campaign that has seen Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov fall from starter to backup to a demotion in rapid succession — in front of the sport’s most critical media market, no less — the Russian netminder is keeping things in perspective after being waived by the team last week.

“I feel really positive and stay positive all the time, [I’m] still working,” Samsonov explained to reporters on Thursday ahead of Toronto’s clash with the New York Islanders on Thursday night. “I’m just ready with everything and just wait to have a chance to play.”

Samsonov hasn’t played since Dec. 29, when he was lit up for six goals on just 21 shots in a 6-5 loss to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. He was waived shortly after.

“You’re sad, yeah?” the goaltender admitted about going through the waiver process. “But it’s nice signal for your brain and your body: Man, you need to wake up and get back on track and working hard as you can.”

It’s certainly a good attitude for a goalie that has imploded in 2023-24 after emerging into a capable starting goalie with the Washington Capitals over the last few seasons.

Samsonov has given up at least four goals in each of his last four starts, all of them losses. And it’s been a similar story for the entire campaign. It was clear that he needed a mental reset, which seems to have helped the 26-year-old keep things in perspective in Toronto.

Ilya Samsonov headed back to Toronto Marlies?

After clearing waivers , the Leafs have the luxury of moving Samsonov up and down the roster. With a back-to-back set coming up against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday followed by a divisional tilt with the Detroit Red Wings the next night, there is a chance Samsonov gets sent back to the American Hockey League so that rookie Dennis Hildeby can get into game action for the first time.

“I don’t want to talk about this because it’s not right now,” Samsonov asserted when asked about potentially being sent down again. “Just focused on what’s going on right now.”

Right now, Martin Jones is looking exceptional in the crease, and with Joseph Woll on the shelf, he’s turned back the clock to emerge into a bonafide starter in 2023-24.

How much leeway Ilya Samsonov will have with the Maple Leafs the rest of the season remains to be seen, but despite his positive attitude, it’s going to be immense faith to trust the Russian between the pipes for the rest of the year.

Canadian music royalty will be part of this year’s NHL All-Star Weekend.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced through social media on Thursday that Justin Bieber, the two-time Grammar Award-winning artist and a lifetime fan of the team, will be part of the NHL’s All-Star Weekend.

Bieber is expected to be one of the celebrity captains of the four All-Star teams, likely paired with Maple Leafs’ forward Auston Matthews, who appeared in the promotional video the team released. Celebrities will be paired with captains, who will pick the four teams of 11 players (nine skaters, two goalies) for the NHL All-Star Game.

Bieber, a native of Stratford, Ont., played hockey growing up and is known to skate with fellow Canadians in recreation leagues in Los Angeles, Calif. The eight-time Juno Award-winning musician is often seen at hockey games between California and Toronto, and has skated with members of the Maple Leafs in the past.

Bieber also has a long relationship with the Maple Leafs, having designed the team’s reversible sweater that was released in March 2022, in conjunction with his apparel company drew house and Adidas.

“My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater,” Bieber said. “I’m grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans.”

All-Star Weekend, which runs from Feb. 1-3, will have a completely new look this year. The player draft will take part on the Thursday, followed by the skills competition on the Friday. Twelve NHL All-Stars will compete for points in eight events, with the one who accumulates the most points taking home a prize of $1 million.

The All-Star Games themselves will take place on the Saturday.