Leafs Get Spanked by Sabres, Bad Free Agent Signings, and Time for a Drastic Move?
What will the Leafs do about Ilya Samsonov?
Welcome to the THW Toronto Maple Leafs Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Maple Leafs writers.
The Maple Leafs put up a terrible performance on Thursday night, losing 9-3 to the Buffalo Sabres. It leaves a ton of questions, particularly with the netminding situation. That, of course, leads to a conversation about bad free agency signings.
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3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 9-3 Blowout Loss to Sabres
December 22, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
After a tough 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Dec. 19, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to bounce back against a struggling Buffalo Sabres team. The Sabres lost their previous game to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 9-4 final score, so there was confidence amongst Maple Leafs fans heading into this matchup. However, the end result was disastrous for the Maple Leafs, as they fell to the Sabres by an embarrassing 9-3 final score. It was easily the Maple Leafs’ worst game of the season, so let’s go over three main takeaways from the contest now.
Top 3 Worst Free Agent Signings in Maple Leafs History
December 22, 2023 by Spencer Lazary
In free agency, some clubs take a big swing at a player on the open market and after the first year, it looks to be a waste of money. This has happened a fair amount to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before the Auston Matthews era, they took chances on players to try and end the suffering. Unfortunately, it led to more of it.
Analyst: Maple Leafs Nearing Drastic Move with Ilya Samsonov
December 22, 2023 by Jim Parsons
Ilya Samsonov was pulled from the Toronto Maple Leafs net on Thursday night versus the Buffalo Sabres. The score wound up being 9-3, with Samsonov allowing five goals on 19 shots. Unfortunately, this poor showing came after a game versus Columbus in which he allowed six goals on 35 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss.
Something is clearly off with his game and it’s hard to imagine the Maple Leafs feel any trust in going back to him.
In the short-term, Martin Jones has done an admirable job. Yes, he allowed four goals on 16 shots Thursday night, but he’s been far more productive than anyone would have envisioned when signed this summer. Frankly, no one really expected Jones to play all that much. That he is, and respectively playing well, is a lifeline for Toronto.
Still, the Leafs have a problem and it might be time to do something drastic to fix it.
More Must-Reads On The Maple Leafs
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