RALEIGH — With the addition of forward Cory Stillman, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired in a trade Thursday, coach Paul Maurice said the team has more flexibility, comfort, and depth at forward.

With Stillman, moving into the Eric Staal’s line with Erik Cole, forward Jussi Jokinen moves into Brandon Sutter’s line with Jiri Tlusty. 

“That’s a line we really liked because you can play them against the other team’s two best, but they find some ways to score, too,” Maurice said of Sutter’s line combination. “There’s some offense to that line. I think it sorts some things out. It gives us other options.”

Sergei Samsonov was sitting on the bench Thursday night in Atlanta, hoping the Canes could win a shootout over the Thrashers and finish off another comeback victory.

Then, he felt the tap.

It was associate head coach Ron Francis, telling Samsonov he would be the Canes' third shooter. And not just that, but he would have a chance to win the game. And not just win the game, but win it in an arena where he suffered a neck injury in preseason.

"It was a surprise and it wasn't right away, either," Samsonov said today. "I was just watching and cheering for our guys. It wasn't until (Dustin) Byfuglien started going for Atlanta that I got tapped on the shoulder by Ronny to go next."

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Canes coach Paul Maurice said forward Sergei Samsonov would rejoin the lineup tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes and that Patrick O'Sullivan would be a healthy scratch.

Maurice wanted to wait until after the morning skate today to see about the status of Samsonov, who has missed the last two games, and center Brandon Sutter, who had an upper-body concern.

"He feels better, he feel stronger," Maurice said of Sutter, who has not missed any playing time. "We were hopeful of that, that after some days off (between games) he would have better strength. He's ready."

Canes winger Sergei Samsonov was badly disappointed that he wasn't able to make the recent European trip.

Then again ...

A sprained neck prevented Samsonov from going with the Canes to Russia for an exhibition game in St. Petersburg and then on to Finland for the NHL Premiere. A Moscow native, Samsonov had several friends and family who planned to attend the exhibition game against SKA St. Petersburg.

"It was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to go and play in your home country," Samsonov said today after the Canes' practice at the RBC Center. "It was tough. Other than that, the injury was not as serious as it looked on the ice. It was good to get a test done and it be negative."

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said he has not put center Rod Brind'Amour on waivers.

He said the team had until Wednesday to put a player on waivers, which would need to be done to buy out that player's contract. 

Brind'Amour, the team's captain until until the torch was passed to center Eric Staal midway through the past season, would earn $3 million this season.

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford met with the agent of forward Ray Whitney at the NHL draft on Saturday, but Whitney is expected to test the free agency market, Rutherford said Monday.

The team hopes Whitney, 38, who's played in 18 NHL seasons and was third on the team in points (58) last season, still ends up with the Canes.

The NHL's free agency period begins Thursday, and Whitney is an unrestricted free agent.

"We're keeping the door open and hoping that he'll come back to us," Rutherford said

The Canes have four players in Vancouver and none will return until at least Sunday. And those who play for the gold on Sunday may not rejoin the team until the morning skate Tuesday in Toronto, coach Paul Maurice said.

How will playing in the Olympics affect their games when the regular season resumes? There's so much emotion, so much tension, so much pride in country, that those competing in the Games surely must experience
some kind of letdown.

But those who have done it say it's not that hard to get back to "normal."

"I think you can hop right back in," said Sergei Samsonov, who played for Russia in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. "It's such a quick tournament. There's a lot of emotion, but it's a fun tournament and a short tournament."

The Canada-Russia quarterfinal game tonight has been sliced and diced and analyzed in every conceivable way by those in Vancouver.

The Russians have Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. The Canadians, playing on home
soil, have Sidney Crosby and enough talent to match the Russians, and Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks again is coach Mike Babcock's choice in goal.

What about the view from afar? Here's the take of Canes coach Paul Maurice today:

"Canada is under a different, unique kind of pressure, and Russia does seem to play its best when it plays loose. You've got a Canadian goalie who hasn't seen a lot of shots, and now he plays in his hometown in as much of a high-pressure environment as if he was in the final. So this is going to be really exciting."

RALEIGH – The Carolina Hurricanes got two regulars back in their lineup, but the result was the same.

The Tampa Bay Lightning never trailed in a 3-2 win, handing the Hurricanes their third-straight loss at the RBC Center Monday.

Forwards Sergei Samsonov and Chad LaRose will return to the lineup for the Carolina Hurricanes' game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the RBC Center tonight at 7 p.m.

Samsonov and LaRose have been skating with the team for several days now and traveled with the team on last week's two-game road trip to Toronto and Detroit.