Ask Marcel Goc and Sean Bergenheim that question, and their answer would be a resounding "stay!"

After the top line of Versteeg-Weiss-Fleischmann cooled down after their torrid start, it was the Bergenheim-Goc-Samuelsson line that held the fort for much of the second half of the season.

Samuelsson, 35, is a UFA and both sides have shown mutual interest in him returning. His veteran leadership and balanced game is a welcomed asset for any roster, especially with Florida with more and more youngsters coming up over the next few years.

Back in mid-October, when GM Dale Tallon pulled the trigger on a shocking trade sending David Booth to Vancouver for Samuelsson and Marco Sturm, most around the league felt the Panthers were fleeced on the deal. How wrong they were.

First, Tallon was able to shed Booth's oversized contract in exchange for two expiring ones, setting him up for continued flexibility this summer. Samuelsson was slowly recovering from hernia surgery, but once he arrived and improved his conditioning his presence was palpable.

Once he was paired with Goc and Bergenheim chemistry was almost instant, and they stayed together for most of the year moving forward.

In 54 regular season games he scored 14 goals with 17 assists, including 13 points in the power play (7/6), with one game-winner. He also had 5 assists in seven playoff games.

His $2.5 million salary was certainly reasonable, and it will be interesting to see if he feel if he is worth a raise based on how last season's stats would correlate to 82 games. Regardless, Tallon would not be looking to keep him for more than two years, and at Samuelsson's age it could easily be his last contract.

Many teams will be interested in his services so it may depend on if he liked South Florida enough in his short stint to WANT to stay or rather just go to the highest bidder.

There is no question a player like Samuelsson is a valuable asset to have in the locker room, and Kevin Dineen and Tallon have nothing but great things to say about what he brings to the table both on and off the ice.

So the question becomes, should he stay or should he go? What do you think he's worth?

Twitter @DanSpiegel

Join the Discussion: » 10 Comments » Post New Comment

» Goodbye To Hockeybuzz

» Aleksander Barkov Finally Gets His Due

» Marchessault Stings

» Are The Panthers A Tease?

» The Legacy Jagr Left Behind...