Can Lewington play LD? If not, with 3 RD on the roster already, I’m not really sure what the benefit of having him as a #7 would be, given it’s Siegenthaler coming out to get the 7th D games if there’s a healthy lineup?
With the goaltender situation, if Kuzy’s cap doesn’t count for three games and Kempny’s on IR for two, why not use it as an opportunity to get MF and IS an NHL game or two each? The salary cap wouldn’t be an issue and you’d have the extra two roster spaces without sacrificing Stephenson or Boyd.
Assuming Djoos is claimed, it’s hard to see how they’d get Samsanov games this year without risking losing Copley or Stephenson/Boyd on waivers once Kempny and Kuzy are back. They wouldn’t have the roster space, with 14 forwards and 7 D. If they were going to risk Copley on waivers without IS first seeing significant NHL action, you’d have thought they’d have done it today when he was more likely to sneak through (who’s claiming Copley over DeSmith and Comrie, and a couple of solid forwards and Ds?). That they haven’t, and that it’s Samsanov on the roster when I don’t get the impression he outplayed Vanecek during training camp or in the AHL last year, makes me think they’re not prepared to lose Copley just yet and see this as a brief window to get him a game or two, perhaps?
Of course, if Djoos clears and they really don’t want to lose Stephenson, Copley and Samsanov could both find themselves in the AHL pretty quickly...