Are we not as attractive as we/media thinks?

[Dipsy Doodle]

Shero already had to put up with the indignity having one talented Russian player on the team regularly skating circles around his collegiate, 'Murican players. The thought of possibly having two probably gave him night terrors.

Semin wasn't a "Shero/Dan" player. Simple as that.

We now know that to generally be a bad thing. At the time, most fans solemnly nodded their heads and crossed themselves, or whatever.

There's also the small matter of Semin being the biggest perennial playoff underachiever of any star forward. For a fanbase that pooh-poohs regular season success and was happy to be rid of Neal for his perceived playoff failures, it sure is funny to see so many people pine for the guy.

Semin has 7 goals and 12 points in his last 30 playoff games playing with as much elite talent as any of our complementary wingers. Neal has 10 goals and 20 points in his last 31. Dupuis has 10 goals and 17 points in his last 28.

And Semin makes 7 mil per.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yeah... he would have fit right in, huh?

It was a one year deal with plenty of cap space to spare. Shero goofed. He did it a lot. That's why he's unemployed. It's OK, now.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I remember this, too. Bourque is such a shill. Though he was probably right. Why Alex Semin, of all players, deserved so much pointed disrespect from an entire organization is completely beyond me. Because he was a Capital and "THEY'RE OUR RIVALS!!! (sorta)?" Who knows.

He also talked **** about Crosby.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Yeah... he would have fit right in, huh?

It was a one year deal with plenty of cap space to spare. Shero goofed. He did it a lot. It's OK, now.

He would have made a lot more money than what we had and his track record was a lot worse. People here overlook that because of his skill, but he's not a guy to target if you want to bolster your playoff chances.

We used the cap space on Iginla, which was a lot sounder bet even if it didn't work out.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

*shrug*

Crosby ought to be well used to that, by now. Heck... he often gets it from fans and media representing the team he captains.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

He would have made a lot more money and his track record was a lot worse than what we had. I'm not sure why people overlook that. He's not a guy to target if you want to bolster your playoff chances.

Yeah. What they ended up doing worked swimmingly.

 

[mpp9]

He would have made a lot more money than what we had and his track record was a lot worse. People here overlook that because of his skill, but he's not a guy to target if you want to bolster your playoff chances.

We used the cap space on Iginla, which was a lot sounder bet even if it didn't work out.

He didn't cost any assets. And it was a one year deal when we had loads of cap room.

You think it was wiser to spend significant assets on two guys well past their primes? Alrighty then.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

*shrug*

Crosby ought to be well used to that, by now. Heck... he often gets it from fans and media representing the team he captains.

This board really wants to have its cake and eat it too. We want hard-working character guys who will bolster our playoff chances when there's need to justify moving Neal for Hornqvist, but then we lament not trading for the epitome of fancypants skill guy who ***** the bed in the post-season.

Yeah. What they ended up doing worked swimmingly.

Things don't always work out.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

He didn't cost any assets. And it was a one year deal when we had loads of cap room.

You think it was wiser to spend significant assets on two guys well past their primes? Alrighty then.

Over Semin? Sure do.

The guy gets ripped by more former teammates than anyone I've seen for mailing it in when it counts.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

This board really seem to have its cake and eat it too. We want hard-working character guys who will bolster our playoff chances when there's need to justify moving Neal for Hornqvist, but then we lament not trading for the epitome of fancypants skill guy who ***** the bed in the post-season.

You're barking up the wrong tree with this line of reasoning, fella.

Things don't always work out.

Very correct.

And often times it's because those making the decisions are stubborn and arrogant to the point of ruination.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Over Semin? Sure do.

The guy gets ripped by more former teammates than anyone I've seen for mailing it in when it counts.

BY THE CAPITALS PLAYERS.

An organization who has years and years worth of issues that makes anything this team has gone through the last few years look like a walk in the park. He seems well liked and respected in Carolina. If not quiet. Which is his wont.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

This board really seem to have its cake and eat it too. We want hard-working character guys who will bolster our playoff chances when there's need to justify moving Neal for Hornqvist, but then we lament not trading for the epitome of fancypants skill guy who ***** the bed in the post-season.



Things don't always work out.

The thing is that guys with real skill, especially at scoring goals in this dead, buried and cremated offensive league, are far harder to find than grinders. Granted Hornqvist brings more to the table than that, but still, in the end it is the elite scorers that separate the elite teams from the vast middle of the bunch. Before I hear about how the Pens' depth is what killed them in the past couple of playoffs, JR showed this off-season how easily and cheaply depth can be found. Scorers? Not so much.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

You're barking up the wrong tree with this line of reasoning, fella.

I think it's pretty pointed. I don't know any better example among star forwards of a playoff flameout the last half decade or so than Semin. Do you?

Very correct.

And often times it's because those making the decisions are stubborn and arrogant to the point of ruination.

Opting to wait until the deadline (and ending up acquiring a seemingly ideal fit...usage notwithstanding) rather than sign a playoff dud who badmouthed your franchise player doesn't seem stubborn or arrogant to me.

BY THE CAPITALS PLAYERS.

An organization who has years and years worth of issues that makes anything this team has gone through the last few years look like a walk in the park. He seems well liked and respected in Carolina. If not quiet. Which is his wont.

You're acting as though Semin wasn't the biggest failure on that team, when he was. And it was multiple Capitals players, even guys who disagreed with the comments being public.

Wasn't just Washington either. Remember this headline from a familiar face?:

Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford calls out Alexander Semin

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2014/1/...anes-jim-rutherford-calls-out-alexander-semin

 

[mpp9]

Over Semin? Sure do.

The guy gets ripped by more former teammates than anyone I've seen for mailing it in when it counts.

He produced at a better clip than Neal in the playoffs, while mostly having to carry Washington's 2nd line.

If you want to take away Neal's 1st and last postseasons b/c he didn't have Malkin. Then you have to apply the same to Semin without an elite center.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The thing is that guys with real skill, especially at scoring goals in this dead, buried and cremated offensive league, are far harder to find than grinders. Granted Hornqvist brings more to the table than that, but still, in the end it is the elite scorers that separate the elite teams from the vast middle of the bunch. Before I hear about how the Pens' depth is what killed them in the past couple of playoffs, JR showed this off-season how easily and cheaply depth can be found. Scorers? Not so much.

What the...

Hasn't the board been glowing about moving Neal for Hornqvist?

Ah man. Whatever.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think it's pretty pointed. I don't know any better example among star forwards of a playoff flameout the last half decade or so than Semin. Do you?

Um... I'm saying that I never had any desire to see Neal traded in the first place. So these points are ringing a bit hollow, to me.

And if you want to take anything seriously that falls out of especially that era of Washington Capitals players' mouths... that's entirely up to you. Alex Semin wasn't anything close to that team's playoff problems. Far, far down the list.

And Rutherford? Honestly I don't take anything he has to say much more seriously than even that. Sorry if that offends newly-minted fanboys of this team's new GM.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

What the...

Hasn't the board been glowing about moving Neal for Hornqvist?

Ah man. Whatever.

Most were angry at the move when it happened.

I for one have come to terms with the move, especially after Ehrhoff was signed to become the Weber to Hornqvist on the PP with his canon of a shot, but that does not make me in favor of the trade, merely greatful that despite my reservations that there is at least a logical plan in the moves this off-season.

From what I can see that was the general reaction here, not thrilled entirely with the trade, but willing to give it a chance and see what happens.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

He produced at a better clip than Neal in the playoffs, while mostly having to carry Washington's 2nd line.

If you want to take away Neal's 1st and last postseasons b/c he didn't have Malkin. Then you have to apply the same to Semin without an elite center.

Semin played off and on with Backstrom and/or Ovechkin over that period. I can link articles if you like. The only two points he got in the 2010 playoffs were assists on ES Ovy goals.

When he was on the 2nd line, he carried it about as well as Neal. For 2 mil more per season.

 

[mpp9]

Semin played off and on with Backstrom and/or Ovechkin over that period. I can link articles if you like.

When he was on the 2nd line, he carried it about as well as Neal. For 2 mil more per season.

I can look up GDTs on here and show you he played a vast majority of his time with Arnott, MoJo, Belanger, Laich and any number of rotating cast numbers on the 2nd line.

It's hypocritical to criticize Semin for not carrying a line when Neal obviously can't. If we're talking production.

People can feel free to believe he's a cancer. I don't buy into it. Especially on a team where he'd be the third most skilled forward and not expected to carry a line.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I will say this.

Semin belongs in that thread of how things would have been different had HF run the Pens. Assuming that the behind the scenes rumblings were correct we at HF definately would have signed him, at least for that year.

We would have Saad instead of having drafted Morrow as well. Forsberg instead of Pouliot. More forwards in general drafted than defensemen. There is good and bad in that of course. As Shero hit more often than not on those defensemen.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I can look up GDTs on here and show you he played a vast majority of his time with Arnott, MoJo, Belanger, Laich and any number of rotating cast numbers on the 2nd line.

It's hypocritical to criticize Semin for not carrying a line when Neal obviously can't. If we're talking production.

People can feel free to believe he's a cancer. I don't buy into it. Especially on a team where he'd be the third most skilled forward and not expected to carry a line.

And I can show you game summaries where he was undeniably spending time with Ovechkin and/or Backstrom right through 2012. His ES time with them dipped over the playoff years (with good reason), but his 1st unit PP time was always high.

And his numbers were still garbage.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Um... I'm saying that I never had any desire to see Neal traded in the first place. So these points are ringing a bit hollow, to me.

And if you want to take anything seriously that falls out of especially that era of Washington Capitals players' mouths... that's entirely up to you. Alex Semin wasn't anything close to that team's playoff problems. Far, far down the list.

And Rutherford? Honestly I don't take anything he has to say much more seriously than even that. Sorry if that offends newly-minted fanboys of this team's new GM.

When there's that much smoke from different sources, I think it's reasonable to assume there's some fire, particularly when his yearly playoff production dropoffs support it. Your mileage may vary.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

One guy was Matt Bradley. Right? An idiot. And out of the league.

The other was Brooks Laich? A loudmouth who has practically chased himself out of town over the last couple of seasons.

Yeah. My mileage is going to vary.

 

[mpp9]

And I can show you game summaries where he was undeniably spending time with Ovechkin and/or Backstrom right through 2012. His ES time with them dipped over the playoff years (with good reason), but his 1st unit PP time was always high.

And his numbers were still garbage.

He was not a regular with those two. Which was my point. It was closer to Malkin getting shifts with Sid to spark some offense than Neal/Malkin being locks together up until this postseason. The last time the Caps had a decent #2C (with Semin on the team) was Federov in 08-09, and Semin was ppg in those playoffs rotating with him and Backstrom.

Semin is no lazier than Neal. And he can actually make things happen on his own with superior puck skills and skating.

Just saying I would have taken the risk on a one year deal. And re-evaluated at season's end. We would have had our 1st rounder more than likely since there would have been no room for Iggy. Use it to draft another winger or an offseason deal if you don't re-sign Semin.

 

[billybudd]

One guy was Matt Bradley. Right? An idiot. And out of the league.

The other was Brooks Laich? A loudmouth who has practically chased himself out of town over the last couple of seasons.

Yeah. My mileage is going to vary.

Want to say it was Fehr. Though the point still stands. Fehr was nearly out of the sport when McPhee gave him a second chance a year or so ago.