It sounds like Alexander Semin's time in the NHL may have come to an end. Some will say it's probably a year or two too late, but you can't blame the Montreal Canadiens for taking a chance on a guy who only two years ago notched 22 goals and 20 assists as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. But with the news Wednesday that Semin, placed on unconditional waivers, had passed through unclaimed, it seems a kind of death knell had been sounded for the proud Russian's once promising NHL career.
Per TSN's Bob McKenzie, there was little to no interest in the 31-year-old goal-scorer once the Habs cut ties.
"Not that I'm aware of. And that's an affordable contract," McKenzie said Wednesday, while appearing on Montreal's TSN 690, via the transcription from Today's Slap Shot. "It's a variable contract, as we know. When you've got a million dollar deal, you can put $950,000 in the minors (and only have) a $50,000 cap hit if you dump him to the American Hockey League. That's what the Canadiens are now facing.
"So all 29 teams - the other 29 teams had every opportunity for the risk of a $50,000 cap hit (to take the contract) and they chose not to.
"I think that's it for Alex in the NHL."
At this point, it's really not a surprising development. Once considered one of the league's elite snipers - and probably still considered one of it's most enigmatic and polarizing (coach-killing) personalities - Semin's game has fallen off precipitously in recent seasons. A former first-round pick of the Washington Capitals, Semin provided glimpses of a promising skillset during 52 games of his rookie seasons, 2003-04, when he potted 10 goals and 12 assists. But he absolutely burst onto the NHL scene in 2004-05 to the tune of 38 goals and 73 points.
From there, he posted consistently high-level production, topping out at 84 points in 2009-10. But the jump to Carolina proved disastrous for Semin, and while he was able to record those 42 points in 2013-14, the signs of his game disintegrating had become more prevalent.
Last season, Semin appeared in just 57 games for the fatally flawed Hurricanes, posting six goals and 13 assists. This season, in what could now be his last in an NHL uniform, Semin managed just one goal and three assists in 15 games for a Habs team that's among the strongest in the league. Here's what Montreal GM Marc Bergevin had to say when the team announced Semin's signing earlier this offseason.
"He brings something that not a lot of players do have, and obviously things didn't go his way in Carolina. He's going to have a chance to prove he is still the player he once was. He's still young, only 31 years of age. We hope he will bring his skill and compete level to Montreal," Bergevin said, per the NHL Network.
As McKenzie notes, after going unclaimed, Semin and the Habs seem likely for a mutually agreed-upon contract termination. ESPN's Pierre LeBrun added that Semin's agent has already begun contacting teams overseas. It will signal a sad end for a player who was once one of the most electrifying scorers in the NHL.
For anyone feeling nostalgic...
