Ovechkin said him and Semin were having dinner. If they're like any 2 Russians having dinner I know Semin is telling him about how much better Carolina is to him and Ovechkin hanging on to every word. He was happy in the KHL, and he doesn't appear all that happy here. I can't help but wonder if he's wondering about what playing for other less ****ed up organizations would be like at some level.
People seemed to use Semin's lack of a long term contract against him. I remember George after inking him one year, said that both sides wanted a short term contract.
And from a players perspective and maybe a fans perspective, I like it. I don't want to commit high dollars for a decade very often. I want a GM with flexibility, and I want players to have incentive to do well, every year.
Semin may be far from perfect but our organization is not perfect as well. Its a two way street.
I get the sense George kind of rules with an iron fist. Good guy in the locker room may just mean you kiss George's arse. I am not sold that a player with a spine is a bad thing come playoff time. I don't speak from experience, but hear that nice guys finish last.