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Canadiens sign Alex Semin, one year, $1.1 M


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How do you think Semin will do, production-wise? Given that coach will likely not give him a whole lot of rope before he finds himself with low minutes or pressbox?

15g 20a is likely max we should expect eh?

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How do you think Semin will do, production-wise? Given that coach will likely not give him a whole lot of rope before he finds himself with low minutes or pressbox?

15g 20a is likely max we should expect eh?

I think alot depends on injuries and how the team is doing. I can see him literally on either wing on any line at any point during the season. MT likely won't be too pleased with his defensive play, but as long as the team is winning, he might be given the rope to do his thing. I think 15-20 goals is probably in the ballpark of what to expect

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His motor can't shut off.

If he's motivated all year, he's gonna play in the top six and be a top three forward for offensive production.

If he's motivated for half of the year, he'll be up and down the top six and be our fifth or sixth best forward for offensive production.

If he isn't motivated at all, he'll be gone before 2016 rolls around.

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Since he has a career +70, that doesn't really sound like a guy that is THAT much of a defensive liability, maybe he will get some good ice time, and put up some points?

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Since he has a career +70, that doesn't really sound like a guy that is THAT much of a defensive liability, maybe he will get some good ice time, and put up some points?

He isn't a defensive liability.

Semin is really good at stripping pucks off players and using his body to cut lanes off. What he isn't good at is digging pucks out of corners or blocking shots or hitting guys to get them off the puck or hankering down into a defensive strategy. He isn't the typical chew grit Canadian boy and is closer to the traditional Russian style of focusing on the puck instead of the body.

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He isn't a defensive liability.

Semin is really good at stripping pucks off players and using his body to cut lanes off. What he isn't good at is digging pucks out of corners or blocking shots or hitting guys to get them off the puck or hankering down into a defensive strategy. He isn't the typical chew grit Canadian boy and is closer to the traditional Russian style of focusing on the puck instead of the body.

Add that to his scoring ability and he sounds pretty attractive.

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Jeez, the guy is a sniper and not a defensive liability.....AND we got him for only 1.1m!! How did we get so lucky? There must have been teams lining up around the block for his services

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Jeez, the guy is a sniper and not a defensive liability.....AND we got him for only 1.1m!! How did we get so lucky? There must have been teams lining up around the block for his services

Ha! Your sarcasm makes a good point. While a case can certainty be made that this is a low risk signing with a nice potential ceiling, there is WAY too much enthusiasm abounding for a buyout player who was a complete POS last season. Very, very cautious optimism about Semin is what's in order here - no more than that.

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Ha! Your sarcasm makes a good point. While a case can certainty be made that this is a low risk signing with a nice potential ceiling, there is WAY too much enthusiasm abounding for a buyout player who was a complete POS last season. Very, very cautious optimism about Semin is what's in order here - no more than that.

It's just talking truth.

Semin has near elite offensive ability combined with being very good at stripping pucks and not being a serious defensive liability... on his game.

Off his game, he's invisible for 90% of his shifts, doesn't give a damn, doesn't get in position, is a liability on the ice and makes you question if he cares.

There are times he can play spectacularly and then the next shift you wonder if he thinks he's in a Jerry Bruckheimer celebrity league. There's nothing wrong with calling Semin an enigma. He is.

He's the kind of player who when he's motivated (wants to make the playoffs and win a Cup) he's difficult to stop and when he isn't motivated, it's difficult to wake him up (like knowing his team is the drizzles or knows he won't be re-signed). His last season with the Capitals he was unmotivated and put up just 4 points in 14 playoff games (you know, the kind of numbers most of our Habs put up in the spring). Prior to that postseason he had put up 30 points in 37 playoff games with the Capitals. You wouldn't think that because his only other poor playoff performance happened to be against Halak and the Habs (2 points in 7 games), Otherwise he proved to be a near point per game playoff performer. But that last postseason with the Caps he stunk, and that's what gets remembered.

The reason he got a reputation for "playing for a new contract" was due to the lockout season where he put up a point per game on a one year deal with Carolina. The Hurricanes that year were 13 points from a playoff spot. It wasn't like that all season long. At the 24 game mark, the Hurricanes were sitting in third place as the top seed in their conference. The Southeast division was tight. Two weeks later, Carolina had dropped from 3rd to 8th. Two weeks after that, they were in the basement of the East.

Was that Semin's fault? Not at all. Semin had 30 points in 28 games combining February and March, when the Hurricanes took a nose dive. He also put up 10 points in 11 games in April. Semin worked his ass off to get the Hurricanes back in playoff position. The problem was their goaltending was awful. Semin and Eric Staal were amazing and had nothing to show for it. You know who got away from that half season without any blame? Jordan Staal, who was awful in March for the Hurricanes when they took a nosedive (6 points in 14 games, -8) When Semin re-signed his big deal, it was the hope that Carolina would treat it as a half season anomaly and get back into the playoffs. Instead the goaltending stayed the same and the defence hardly improved. The club tried to build around the Staal brothers when it should have been building around one Staal brother and Semin. Jordan Staal had 40 points in 82 games being paid $6M and he was still looked upon as a leader of the team. Alex Semin had 42 points in 65 games and was accused of being an enigmatic underachiever making too much money ($1M more than J. Staal).

When you break Semin's 2013-14 up in two you get 14 points in 28 games in 2013, 27 points in 37 games in 2014. That season has been written off by Carolina media as a failure. Jordan Staal is still in Carolina. In comes 14-15 where Semin is definitely unmotivated because he seems to be getting blamed for everything in Carolina despite outperforming Jordan Staal, who gets away with everything because he's Eric's brother and a big strong centre. He isn't 100% from wrist surgery, comes into camp out of shape (his fault) and has a terrible year that gets him bought out.

Conclusion: I wasn't big on signing Alex Semin because of his bad year, the talk of a bad wrist and feeling the club was going to give someone else a shot. I also thought he'd be in a bidding war and he'd cost too much to make it worth while. Looking over his time in Carolina, it was a raw deal. Alex Semin healthy and motivated could be huge for us. But that doesn't mean he will be, nor does it mean it'll happen. But there's information there that suggests that he got dealt raw fish and the Habs could turn it into fancy sushi.

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We signed him. Why not be optimistic, there will be plenty of time to play the I told you so game. For now I am going to happy and hope like hell that he is the sniper I have been screaming for the last number of years. I also hope Le Genius gives him a fair chance, I see that as being a big problem. Semin is just not his type of player.

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Guest Stogey24

We signed him. Why not be optimistic, there will be plenty of time to play the I told you so game. For now I am going to happy and hope like hell that he is the sniper I have been screaming for the last number of years. I also hope Le Genius gives him a fair chance, I see that as being a big problem. Semin is just not his type of player.

I agree. I'm pumped about the signing. I think he's going to do well. Sounds like Galchenyuk is excited to play with Semin too
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I agree. I'm pumped about the signing. I think he's going to do well. Sounds like Galchenyuk is excited to play with Semin too

this is MUCH better than the horrible Briere signing, which was compounded with the horrible trade for PAP.

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Guest Stogey24

Briere's career was done when he signed here.

If Semin scores anything more than 15 goals, I'd say this is one of the better signings Bergevin has made. Adding what could/has been an elite scoring talent without morgaging the teams future or causing cap issues

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..."play with semin."

Sometimes I am just slow, must be the old age catching up? Besides I wasn't expecting that joke from TH. I would look for something more cerebral. :)

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Sometimes I am just slow, must be the old age catching up? Besides I wasn't expecting that joke from TH. I would look for something more cerebral. :)

Hahahah..me too! :blush:

Hope you guys are having a good summer. . so little ice around... and thanks for all the great info and insights as we bump along towards the new season. :D

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Sometimes I am just slow, must be the old age catching up? Besides I wasn't expecting that joke from TH. I would look for something more cerebral. :)

Hey, tis the off-season and maybe Torontohab just got no better hockey related material to work with, wait till Oct. :blush:

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Ronny Tugnutt actually

Now I know Condon doesn't play well with Semin, and Tugnutt is only good Onan one and is a bit of a loner. :rastapop:

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