therrien011

As much as I was dissapointed in Samsonov this past year (more by his attitude/comments than play, everyone can have a bad season) i would still hold onto him. We have a couple of missing pieces, and while Samsonov will not be as interesting to other teams as he would've been a year and a half ago, I can see him as being part of a package in a potential trade just to make the salary cap numbers work (assuming we get back a proven NHLer pulling NHL money back). Not sure who else would be packaged in the trade on our end nor whom we'd get back, but I can see this scenario happening.... Obviously all this is incumbent on him getting a spot (which may be hard) and improving on his pitiful numbers from last year (which should not be hard). But he does have a track record of being a solid, creative player when he cares, and if he's around for the training camp he may just hold down a spot. Carbo is also a year wiser on the job and should have had enough consultations with Gainey in the offseason to be able to manage his Russian malcontent(s) a little more consistently this year. Getting bought out is still the much likelier scenario, but you never know......