According to Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, Ilya Samsonov and his wife Maria are expecting a baby
“any day now”.
Keefe briefed the media on Saturday as the Leafs prepare to travel on a five-game road trip beginning in Ottawa.
Samsonov did not accompany the team.
“We left Samsonov at home last night,” Keefe explained. “He’s been dealing with a handful of minor issues, so he can
remain back and handle them. In addition, he and his wife are expecting a baby here soon. It lets us keep him at
home.”
Samsonov is 24-8-3 this season, with a 2.35 goals-against average and a.917 save percentage.
The Maple Leafs brought up goaltender Joseph Woll from the Toronto Marlies to serve as Matt Murray’s backup in
the immediate future. Woll is one of four Leafs goalies to have started games this season.
Ilya and Maria married over the 2019 offseason in Russia. The little bundle of joy will be the couple’s first child.
Congratulations from everyone at RMNB to the upcoming parents!
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With a baby on the way, Tyler Bertuzzi’s status for the Maple Leafs game against the Jets is in question.
Tyler Bertuzzi might not be in the Maple Leafs’ lineup against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
Bertuzzi and his wife, Ashley, were expecting their second child, a boy, and the veteran winger did not attend
practice Tuesday.
“We won’t know until (Wednesday),” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe explained. “We always plan for the ‘just in case.'”
With Bertuzzi out, Keefe assigned Pontus Holmberg to the left wing on the line alongside captain John Tavares and
William Nylander during practice. If Bertuzzi, one of seven Leafs to play all 45 games this season, is out, that line is
likely to look like this against the Jets.
Mark Giordano, who was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s 3-1 win in Seattle, may sit again on the blue line.
Keefe made no changes to his defensive pairings during practice, keeping Morgan Rielly with TJ Brodie, Jake
McCabe with Timothy Liljegren, and Simon Benoit with Conor Timmins.
“I feel good,” Giordano stated. “When you sit out games, it’s hard to stay in a rhythm.”
