Alex Semin has finally signed and it’s not with Washington, darn it. The Montreal Canadiens announced that the Russian forward had agreed to a one-year deal. According to Renaud Lavoie, it’s for $1.1 million.
The Canadiens agree to terms on a one-year contract (2015-16) with free agent forward Alexander Semin.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 24, 2015
Semin was making $7 million per year in Carolina before he was bought out. That buyout will cost the Hurricanes $2.33 million per year against the cap annually, which doesn’t hurt so bad as the $14 million they’ll pay Semin over the next six years.
The numbers suggest that Semin’s down year was an anomaly, though the Capitals never showed interest in bringing back Sasha Minor. Caps’ writer Mike Vogel was absolute about it.
I'll answer again. There is no scenario in which Semin plays for #Caps. At any price. https://t.co/zBP2hh3itU
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) July 14, 2015
The Caps need (or needed) players like Semin who can generate shots at a high level, but something about their experience with him warded them off. It’s a mystery what exactly happened. It’s a puzzle. It’s an… enigma.
Sigh.
