Carolina Hurricanes Fan Favorites: Sergei Samsonov
The Carolina Hurricanes have had their fair share of fan favorites through the years. Today, we take a look at a player with an interesting story.
The 1996-97 Boston Bruins were bad. Really bad; we’re talking 26 wins bad. As a result, they landed the first overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, a pick which was used to select Sault Ste. Marie center Joe Thornton. That, however, wasn’t Boston’s only opening round pick, and their next one had a direct tie to the Carolina Hurricanes organization.
Back on August 26, 1994, the Bruins shipped defenseman Glen Wesley to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Hartford’s 1st round picks in 95, 96, and 97. The latter pick ended up in the number 8 spot and netted Russian winger Sergei Samsonov.
After an impressive draft year performance with the Detroit Vipers of the now-defunct IHL, Samsonov made the Bruins roster out of camp for the 1997-98 NHL season.
Sadly, trouble was on the horizon.
Following back-to-back 70+ point seasons, Samsonov suffered a wrist injury just 8 games into the 2002-03 season. The year was a wash for him, his problematic wrist keeping him out until the start of the following season. Worse was the fact that, while his stickhandling remained outstanding, his shot lacked much of the potency it had once possessed.
On March 9, 2006, Samsonov was traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he racked up 15 points in 24 playoff games for the Oilers before they fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who they lost to.
On second thought:
#CanesCup Rod Brind'Amour reflects on 2006 Stanley Cup run Video: https://t.co/d6auPBZPIi @newsobserver pic.twitter.com/y3dyNR8xmA
— Chris Seward (@ChrisSeward101) February 11, 2016
Samsonov went on to have brief stints in Montreal and Chicago but struggled to get back to the production level he had shown earlier in his career. Then, in January of 2008, the Blackhawks placed him on waivers. Naturally, this seemed like the perfect reclamation project for then-Carolina GM Jim Rutherford, who scooped the diminutive winger up.
The move paid dividends immediately.
Samsonov slid right into the lineup and became an invaluable contributor, picking up 24 points in his first 27 games with the Hurricanes. When Rod Brind’Amour lost the final 23 games of the season to an injured ACL, Samsonov chipped in to fill the offensive void.
He was immediately welcomed by his new team and their fans, though they ultimately missed their goal of returning to the playoffs. Ironically, they were beat out by 2 points by the team that drafted Samsonov a decade prior.
Settling In
Having secured his role with the Hurricanes—and a new 3-year contract—Samsonov set himself up to build off a solid half-season with the Hurricanes. Despite seeing a drop off in his points per game, Samsonov finished the 2008-09 season with 16 goals, while his 48 points placed him fifth on the team in scoring. The big news was that the Hurricanes were going back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Samsonov was quiet offensively in the first round, picking up just one assist as the Hurricanes ousted the New Jersey Devils in seven games. Things changed in round two. Once again, the Boston Bruins played a role, this time as the direct opponent. Facing his former team, Samsonov picked up 4 goals and 1 assist in seven games, helping the Hurricanes upset the #1 seed in the East.
This, unfortunately, was followed by a sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins. For his part, Samsonov did manage 2 points (1g, 1a) in the series.
The 2009-10 season saw a sharp decline in his offensive output, as he managed just 29 points in 72 games. With the Hurricanes missing the playoffs, Samsonov set his sights on 2010-11. The new campaign was rough for him before it even began, as he suffered a neck injury in a preseason game against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Despite his speed and puckhandling ability, the offense continued to elude the slick-skating winger. Through 58 games, he only managed 10 goals and 26 points while seeing his ice time drop below 12 minutes per game. On February 28, 2011, Samsonov was traded for the final time, heading to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Bryan Allen.
Snapshot
After his playing career wound down, Sergei Samsonov joined the hockey operations staff of the Carolina Hurricanes. In September of 2014, he was hired as an amateur scout, a position he held for 3 years before joining the forward development team, a role he still holds today.
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Let’s take a look at his performance with the Hurricanes:
- Games played: 249
- Goals: 54
- Assists: 81
- Points: 135
- Points per game: .54
- Shooting %: 12.9%
- Power play points: 44 (12g, 32a)
Samsonov was an electrifying player with great wheels. The bad thing is that I always wonder what he could have achieved had he not suffered that wrist injury after two 70+ point seasons. That said, he put together a solid, 13 year NHL career and has transitioned into the business side of hockey.
Hard to knock a guy with that resumé.
What are your thoughts on Sergei Samsonov’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes? Which player would you like to see profiled next?
Next. Player proposal for restarting the season. dark