For Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, placing Ilya Samsonov on waivers is a necessary step to getting the struggling netminder back on track.
"Obviously, we know Ilya is going through a difficult time," the executive said Tuesday. "When you go through this, you kinda look at a couple of options. You keep doing what you're doing and try to work through it, or you do something different. This plan, we looked at it, and I felt strongly that we had to do something different to help Ilya."
"This isn't punishment," he added. "We need him to get back to where he's capable of getting back to, and he wants to get there. If you knew exactly all the ways to fix things, you would do it, right?"
Samsonov owns an .862 save percentage and 3.94 goals-against average to go along with a 5-2-6 record this campaign. The 26-year-old ranks last among all goalies in goals saved above expected (-12.5) and second last in goals saved above average (-14.95) at all strengths, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Maple Leafs put Samsonov on the waiver wire Sunday, two days after he surrendered six goals on 21 shots during Friday's overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Russian has since been loaned to the AHL, but Treliving confirmed the plan isn't for Samsonov to appear in any games for the Toronto Marlies at this point.
"We're using this week to get him some one-on-one time," he said. "He'll be working with (Marlies goalie coach) Hannu Toivonen back in Toronto, our development team, our performance team off the ice. Really, it's a physical and a mental reset where he can get away from preparing for the next game and all the pressures that come with it.
"To me, a lot of what we're seeing here is, the mental drives the bus a little bit. It's hard to correct the physical - and maybe the technical side - when there's a lot going on. I think there's a lot going on with him. We're trying to let the air out of the balloon a little bit, give him a bunch of support, and just let him reset."
The Maple Leafs called up Marlies goalie Dennis Hildeby on Monday. He's now Toronto's only option behind veteran Martin Jones with rookie Joseph Woll still on the shelf.
Treliving offered a humorous response when asked if he'd consider looking at alternatives outside the organization.
"The manager always has to do his job of continuing to look at ways to improve the team. Now having said that, I checked outside, the goaltender tree was empty. I couldn't pick one off there today. So we'll see with a little bit of sun, maybe they grow a few more."
The Maple Leafs will take on the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
