Checking in on 5 former Maple Leafs: Samsonov bounces back, Brodie stays a consistent healthy scratch

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is winding down, which means we’re entering the final month of the season before the playoffs get underway. But before we get into postseason hockey, let’s review five former Toronto Maple Leafs and their play this past month.

1. Tyler Bertuzzi – Chicago Blackhawks

Contract: 4-year, $22 million ($5.5M AAV)

March stats: 15 GP – 3 G – 7 A – 10 PTS

Season stats: 74 GP – 20 G – 21 A – 41 PTS

Tyler Bertuzzi’s first season as a Chicago Blackhawk has been a season of many parts. He came out of the gates slow, scoring just five goals and recording ten points in the first 23 games. He rebounded in the following 24 games, scoring 12 goals and recording 17 points, but his last 27 games have been challenging.

Fortunately, his counting stats were better this past month despite scoring just three goals. In 15 games last month, Bertuzzi found the back of the net three times and added seven assists for ten points, ultimately passing the 40-point mark this season for the fifth time in his career.

The Sudbury, Ontario native is now just one goal shy (21) and two points shy (43) from matching the total he had with the Maple Leafs last season in 80 games.

2. Ilya Samsonov – Vegas Golden Knights

Contract: 1-year, $1.8 million

March stats: 4 GP – 2-1-1 – 2.01 GAA – .922 SV% – 1 SO

Season stats: 28 GP – 16-9-3 – 2.78 GAA – .892 SV% – 2 SO

February was a struggle for Ilya Samsonov, who started just four games. Despite limited action, the former Maple Leafs goaltender had trouble stopping the puck, allowing 15 goals, including five on two occasions to end the month. Suddenly, Samsonov’s save percentage, which was at .899 entering February, dropped to .887 after four tough outings as he entered March.

The following month was a lot nicer for the 28-year-old. Samsonov started four games once again, with Adin Hill seemingly the starter, and unlike February when he allowed 15 goals, he allowed just eight in those four games, including a 22-save shutout in his first game of the month.

He followed up that shutout against the Penguins with a challenging game in Pittsburgh, allowing three goals on 17 shots. The Magnitogorsk native would then face the Red Wings, stopping 24 of 27 shots and the Lightning, stopping 35 of 37 shots, giving him a save percentage of .922 in March.

3. T.J. Brodie – Chicago Blackhawks

Contract: 2-year, $7.5 million ($3.75 M AAV)

March stats: 1 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS

Season stats: 54 GP – 2 G – 8 A – 10 PTS

It’s been a season to forget for both T.J. Brodie and the Chicago Blackhawks after both sides agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million contract in the offseason. Brodie was among multiple moves the organization made in hopes of taking a step forward this season after another miserable year last season. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks remain at the very bottom of the NHL standings, but the future does look bright with the young talent arriving in Chicago.

Brodie, 34, has struggled mightily this season. It doesn’t come as a total surprise, given his play started to decline toward the end of the 2022-23 season with the Maple Leafs. It has gotten to a point where the Blackhawks have made the Chatham, Ontario native a consistent healthy scratch this month in favour of playing their younger players.

The former Maple Leaf got into just one contest in March, a game against the Anaheim Ducks, where the Blackhawks picked up a 6-3 win. Brodie recorded an assist and was a plus-two.

4. Joel Edmundson – Los Angeles Kings

Contract: 4-year, $15.2 million ($3.8M AAV)

March stats: 16 GP – 1 G – 4 A – 5 PTS

Season stats: 69 GP – 6 G – 13 A – 19 PTS

The contract Joel Edmundson got this past offseason from the Los Angeles Kings may have shocked some people, given the term and the dollar amount. But through 69 games, Edmundson is having arguably his best season offensively on a Kings team known for their stingy defence.

The veteran entered March with 14 points in 53 games (five goals and nine assists) and proceeded to record another five points in 16 games this past month, tying the most points recorded in a single month this season (October, three goals and two assists).

Suddenly, Edmundson is up to 19 points in 69 games and is one point shy from tying his career-high in points set back during the 2019-20 season with the Carolina Hurricanes (20 points in 68 games).

5. Timothy Liljegren – San Jose Sharks

March stats: 13 GP – 2 G – 3 A – 5 PTS

Season stats: 59 GP – 6 G – 8 A – 14 PTS

Like T.J. Brodie, another former Maple Leaf defenceman has changed teams and is on one of the worst teams in the league. The difference, however, between the two players is that Timothy Liljegren is nearly ten years younger. A change of scenery was an option in hopes of the Kristianstad native truly finding his game because he wasn’t getting consistent playing time in Toronto.

Liljegren isn’t having the best season of his career points-wise, with 14 points (six goals and eight assists) in 59 games compared to his other years in Toronto, but the 25-year-old remains the leader in a handful of advanced stats among Sharks blue-liners, such as on-ice expected goals % (49.5%) and on-ice shot attempt (Corsi) % (49%), according to Moneypuck.com.

In 13 games last month, he scored another two goals and added three assists for five points, including a two-assist night against his former team on March 27th. Liljegren, as mentioned, is up to six goals, which ties a career-high set during the 2022-23 season.