Toronto Maple Leafs make roster move which indicates a POSITIVE sign for the team

The Toronto Maple Leafs, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), are facing tremendous pressure this season to finally perform well in the upcoming playoffs. Despite being one of the best regular season teams in the past five years, they have consistently fallen short in the first round of the playoffs.

This season, however, the stakes are higher than ever. The team needs to prove that they are a city where their star player, Auston Matthews, can both play and win a Stanley Cup. Next season marks the final year of Matthews' contract, and at the end of it, he will become an unrestricted free agent, which means he could potentially leave the team. Therefore, the team's success this season is crucial in keeping Matthews happy and motivated to stay in Toronto.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that this is currently the final year of General Manager Kyle Dubas' contract. Dubas has made some interesting moves during the past offseason, including the decision to enter this season with two goaltenders who were cast-offs by their former teams, Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. So far, this strategy has paid off, with both goaltenders performing admirably when given the opportunity to start. However, the problem is that they have both suffered injuries this season, and their injury histories are a concern.

Samsonov, in particular, has been away from the team due to the birth of his child. However, with some recent roster moves, it appears that he is now ready to return to action and could potentially start in tonight's game against the Long Island team. Given the team's reliance on their goaltenders and the importance of tonight's game, one would expect Samsonov to get the nod as the starting goaltender.

The @MapleLeafs have loaned F Alex Steeves and G Joseph Woll to the @TorontoMarlies.— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 21, 2023

In summary, the Toronto Maple Leafs are under immense pressure to perform in the upcoming playoffs, with a lot riding on their success this season. With star player Auston Matthews' contract up for renewal soon, and General Manager Kyle Dubas' job on the line, the team needs to prove that they can compete at the highest level and win a Stanley Cup.