The Toronto Maple Leafs had a bit of a scare at practice on Friday when starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov left the game in discomfort.
Samsonov took a break during team drills and went to the bench to speak with the training staff before leaving the ice. After practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Samsonov was doing well.
The 26-year-old stopped 20 shots in Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings in preseason action.
Keefe also indicated that defenseman John Klingberg will not be on the roster for Saturday’s preseason finale against the Red Wings and should be ready to play next week.
Toronto begins its season on October 11th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Panthers send Knight to the AHL to start the season
In a surprise twist at Florida Panthers training camp, Spencer Knight has been loaned to the AHL as the team prepares to make final preseason roster cuts.
That means Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup behind Sergei Bobrovsky, while Knight gets consistent playing time with the Charlotte Checkers.
It’s been a long road back to playing for Knight, who joined the NHL/NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program in February to get help diagnosing his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He was away from the Panthers for the remainder of the season, including their trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers signed the 22-year-old to a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension last September.
Wild captain had to take a break at the start of the season
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon suffered an upper-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks that will keep him out week-to-week.
Spurgeon scored 11 goals and 34 points in 79 games for the Wild last season and added two assists in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Wild captain is entering the fourth season of his seven-year contract, which carries a cap hit of $7,575,000.
