MAPLELEAFSLATEST | NHL TEAM | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Summer in review: Leafs' bold moves paying off in goal as Mrazek, Campbell flounder while Murray, Samsonov dominate

Before the season started there were several question marks regarding the choices that the Toronto Maple Leafs made with their options between the pipes. It was seen as a complete loss when the Maple Leafs couldn't come to an agreement with Jack Campbell and then due to his then-current slide in form, Matt Murray's acquisition seemed suspect at best, despite the fact that he came to Toronto at 25% salary retention and with a pair of draft picks as compensation to take on the contract.

The Maple Leafs then signed Ilya Samsonov on the first day of free agency to a 1-year, $1.8M deal, but that was met with more of a low-risk-high-reward template because he had all the skill and talent but could never seem to figure it out in time for Washington.

The first third of the season has shown us that the Maple Leafs made the correct decisions because not only have Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov been exceptional, their previous tandem of Campbell and Petr Mrazek have been the complete opposite for their respective teams.

Mrazek is 2-7-1 with a 4.24 GAA and a .872 SV% with the Chicago Blackhawks, while Campbell is 8-6-1 with a 4.02 GAA and a .876 SV% for the Edmonton Oilers. Conversely, Murray is 8-2-2 with a 2.34 GAA and a .925 SV% and his partner in crime in Samsonov sits with a 9-3-0 record, 1.98 GAA and a .929 SV%.

As a duo, the previous tandem through 27 games have a morbid .874 SV%, while the current tandem has a .927 SV% in 25 games. In other words, 50 more goals allowed on only 104 more shots.

Kyle Dubas and company dodged a pair of bullets it seems and that's also coming from a team that has dealt with injuries to almost every defenseman imaginable this year. Not only did Dubas dodge bullets in moving on from Campbell and Mrazek, but he actually received additional assets in the deal for Murray and didn't give up anything in return. Tidy piece of work, that.

Previously on MapleLeafsLatest

Projected first overall pick blatantly clowns and disrespects opponent at World Junior pre-tourney

Linesman crosses a line, puts his hands on a Leafs player and shoves him through an open gate

One Leafs pending RFA who makes sense to extend ASAP

POLL
21 DECEMBRE \| 87 ANSWERS Summer in review: Leafs' bold moves paying off in goal as Mrazek, Campbell flounder while Murray, Samsonov dominate Looking back, how would you grade Kyle Dubas on the moves to bring in Samsonov and Murray?
A-A+	61	70.1 %
B-B+	25	28.7 %
C-C+	1	1.1 %
D+ or lower	0	0 %
LIST OF POLLS