No one is going to sign Semin this offseason. Not a single NHL team. He's going back to Russia. I hope then that it finally proves to everyone here who has suggested signing or trading for him for the past several seasons to realize how wrong they were.
Maybe, but if he chases a bigger paycheck in Russia, I can't really hold that against him.
He's got that Russian scoring luster. It's hard to shake. His wrist shot is crazy good.
I get the reasoning, but man, if we're going to gamble I'd prefer sticking to a guy that's slugged it out in the system like Pulkkinen. A guy drafted 111th overall that's worked like a dog to become a top AHL scorer. I like that hunger on the roster.
With Datsyuk likely missing the start of the year, Franzen evolved into a perpetual question mark, and Richards and Zetterberg getting some ugly looks from Father Time across the room, it wouldn't surprise me if we had room for both in the NHL for the majority of the season.
I get the dislike of Semin by any fan base, but you can dispute the raw gifts the guy has and what he can bring to a team. Since the only way I think we bother with him is on a dirt cheap ($1-2m) one year deal, if we grabbed him I don't see a problem. at that price, if he doesn't work, waive him and move on. Also, it might force the trade of Quincey for cap space, which just makes signing Semin all the more appealing to me.