Alex Semin’s Situation is as Mercurial as the Man

by Kevin Klein

(Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

With their poor play of late, the Capitals haven’t done General Manager George McPhee any favors. Contenders or pretenders, buyers or sellers? These are both questions which fall under the formidable job description of one GMGM. The fate of the season continues to hang in the balance, as does Nicklas Backstrom’s health— and that uncertainty’s effects ripple most precariously.

Indeed, as the NHL’s trade deadline approaches, and the Capitals continue to bounce between a team that looks like it belongs in the playoffs, and the team that is in truth only a few games out of last place in the conference, a certain winger with a penchant for impossible snipes, offensive zone stick penalies, and a fine jawline’s name becomes as prominent as ever.

Alexander Semin was, not so long ago, considered a perfect fit for this Washington Capitals club. A purely offensive goal scorer, with a rifle of a shot,  the ability to dangle the puck on a string, and genuine friendship with countryman and teammate Alexander Ovechkin. With such upside, however, comes a hefty pricetag— one that the Capitals were originally happy to offer up, as they provided Semin with back to back deals of $6m and $6.7m.

It was a risky move at the time, offering a player who had not yet emerged as your prototypical superstar— meaning, of course, consistency, and perhaps a relationship with the media. But Semin remained a good fit for the team, and even when slumping, was a legitimate scoring threat on the team’s second line. But the fickle nature of this Caps season has the Russian sniper dangling in someplace that resembles trade deadline purgatory.

If Nicklas Backstrom is going to return to the lineup, the Caps feel strongly about their chances in making an end of season push, and they probably don’t want to dish the player who has excelled in the Swedish center’s absence; Semin has played in 22 games since Rene Bourque’s elbow found Nicklas Backstrom’s jaw. In those 22 game Semin has notched 19 points. Without Semin, who knows how putrid this offense may have looked over that span of games. He was, in a manner, one of the reasons the Capitals have remained afloat, though his contributions are overshadowed by the team’s general poor performance.

There is a flipside to Semin’s hotstreak, however. His trade value is currently high. Relatively, anyway. Regardless of this season’s outcome, Semin is unlikely to don Capitals red in the season to come, and so comes into the play the concept of a rental: deal him to a surefire contender that’s willing to pay handsomely for an offensive bolster. In a manner, the Capitals could exchange Semin for players or draft picks that could contribute to the team for years to come. Teams like the Red Wings, Predators, or Coyotes are all teams that may look to add offensively, and possess enough cap space that Semin’s considerable salary is a non-factor.

But here’s the thing: Semin’s immediate future, like so much of the Capitals season seems to be, is tied inexorably to Backstrom’s health. If Backstrom’s not coming back this year, why not try to get a good return for a player with the potential to make a big splash on another club? But if Backstrom is set to return, should the Capitals make the playoffs, the club certainly doesn’t want to be short one of it’s most offensive weapons on a team that has struggled to generate chances. This is afterall, likely the last chance the team will get with their so called core of “young guns” in tact. Mike Green’s future is just as uncertain as Alex Semin, though the dynamic and newly-healthy blue liner’s name is nowhere near trade talks.

The regular season has been a rocky, tessellating road for the Capitals, but some valueable lessons have been learned. First and foremost, the value of center depth. Expect this to be addressed aggressively. Secondly, Nicklas Backstrom’s value to this hockey team is immeasurable. He, not Alex Ovechkin, is the foundation upon which this team resides— but the organization already knows this, hence he and Ovechkin’s twin-length contracts.

And last but not least: the regular season does matter— at least during it.

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