The SI jinx, Sergei Samsonov and the Leafs' drought

	It's hard to believe that Sergei Samsonov was expected to be a bigger impact player than Joe Thornton. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
	MAILBAG Brian Cazeneuve will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Does the infamous SI cover jinx extend to the web? Jerry G. from Boulder, Co. thinks so:

You write about Karlis Skrastins never missing a game and a couple of weeks later he misses his first one in 400 and something games. Can't you put the Sports Illustrated jinx on somebody else?

Okay. Let's see. You know, it's good to see Peter Forsberg completely healthy again. The Bill Guerin trade was the best thing that ever happened to the Sharks. Chris Chelios will win another Norris Trophy at age 50, but not before Matty Norstrom wins one in Dallas. Roberto Luongo is indestructible, but the Ducks will win the Cup. How's that?

Norm Olson from Lakewood, CA: What happened to Sergei Samsonov? He was placed on waivers and that was the last I heard. He can't be that expensive and he is still young.

Samsonov is one of the league's great underachieving mysteries. He' a swift player with deft hands and the ability to make plays that others can only dream about. But he rarely plays or practices with any sort of intensity and has never become the type of player who was forecasted when the Bruins picked him eighth overall in the 1997 draft. That was the same year that the Bruins took Joe Thornton at No. 1, and some people were saying that Samsonov could be the greater impact player.

Samsonov has been playing in Montreal all season and the fact that you haven't heard much about him speaks volumes for his effectiveness. He has nine goals, 16 assists in 60 games to date and was placed on waivers, but no one claimed him. This is a guy who, as a 17-year old, scored 110 goals in 50 games for CSKA, the old Russian Red Army team. He hit the 20-goal mark four times with the Bruins, but has never become the great player people thought he could be.

Chris in Buffalo: I had the privilege of attending the Oilers - Leafs game on Feb 17. It was the comemoration of the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup -- 40 years ago. I'm convinced Toronto hockey fans are the most passionate in the league. I have to hear them every time the Leafs play the Sabres. I also see them around other arenas on TV when the Leafs are playing road games. I just wanted your thoughts on that, and their chances of ever hoisting Lord Stanley.

First of all, Leafs fans are among the best (smartest, most loyal, most knowledgeable) in the NHL. It's fun to go to Toronto to see a game, although I miss Maple Leaf Gardens, old barn that it was. I had a chance to watch the 40th-anniversary festivities on TV, and I was especially glad to see Dave Keon back at the games. Keon had a bad falling out with Harold Ballard and the club's former management, and the silent feud he carried on with them was no good for anyone.

The crowd's response when Keon was introduced was heartwarming. As for the future, it's hard to see this generation of Leafs winning a Cup. By that I mean a team in the Mats Sundin era. That isn't meant as a knock against Sundin, but it may be time for the Leafs to re-tool and start over. He doesn't have a forward to complement his skill level. The defense is good. Few teams, outside of Anaheim, have two defensemen who are as productive as Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe, and the jury is still out on whether Andrew Raycroft would be able to win a big playoff game, if tested. The Leafs are in a fight with Montreal, Carolina, Boston, Atlanta and the Islanders for the last playoff spots. They may get in, but I don't see them going far.