Could it be much worse than employing a goalie as a starter that has had 1 good season out of 5 and a career .906 SV% (.902 in the playoffs)? Can't be afraid of playing players who outperform just because they're a particular age. Need to buck the trend.
Of course my scenario was under the presumption that Hildeby is a dominant AHL starter, Woll holding up as a legit tandem guy and Samsonov reverts back to Washington Samsonov, which as mentioned isn't the most realistic scenario. But it would be fun. And if Woll is the go-to guy, 3.5m for a goalie largely sitting on the bench could be better allocated elsewhere.
For me Klingberg is the obvious guy to cut bait on to clear money, but if they need to clear more money when an opportunity arises, Samsonov could be another if that above scenario plays out to some degree. We need to stop treating him like an untouchable starter. He's got zero track record. He's basically another Woll to me, except he makes 3.5. If he gets hot great, keep him, but if he has another Washington nightmare season then no need to stay loyal there if they have other options (and an opportunity to add a position of need).
