Caps' Corner - Washington Capitals NHL Hockey

Alexander Semin - #28

Position

Shoots

Height

Weight

Born

Age

Nationality

Birthplace

Drafted

Contract Particulars

Salary:

Caps Corner Analysis:

Selected 13th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Alexander Semin was a rare high risk/ high reward pick for Capitals GM George McPhee. The team had spent years drafting safe, rugged western Canadian forwards possessing limited upside but the necessary size to play and stick in the NHL. Since the Caps had three picks and used the other two to cull two safe Canadian players in the first round — D Steve Eminger and RW Boyd Gordon — perhaps it is not so surprising that McPhee took a flyer on the Russian forward.

Skills
Semin has the skill set to be a dynamic goal-scoring sniper and playmaker in the NHL. Semin grew up in his hometown Chelyabinsk Traktor hockey school, and is a strong skater and puckhandler who can deke in and out of traffic at high speed and maintain puck possession. A goal scorer by inclination through his young career, Semin has an accurate and heavy shot that he can unleash quickly. Yet Semin is also a creative player, reading the ice well, with sound passing instincts and a knack for execution. In his brief NHL stint, Semin demonstrated the potential to evolve into a dynamic offensive threat. Coaches and scouts alike have dubbed Semin a player who makes his linemates better.

Semin is not a big player, even four years since his draft, and he will never be an intimidating, physical presence. His upside in this area may be in the realm of a quiet resiliency. Early in his NHL career, Semin demonstrated some weakness in his defensive coverage, not unusual for a high-octane player of 20 years. In general, Semin came as advertised. He has a penchant for clutch goal scoring, and is dangerous on the powerplay in either a playmaker or finisher's role.

Development
After playing with the Upper League's Chelyabinsk Traktor from 2000 to 2002, his draft year, Semin was frocked to Lada Togliatti in the Super League in 2002-03.

There, Semin gained the confidence of the coaching staff, handling considerable ice time and posting 10-7-17 numbers in 47 games in the regular season. He took home Super League rookie of the year honors in the process. That year Semin added clutch production to the tune of 5-4-9 in 10 playoff games, earning the RSL's post-season goal-scoring crown.

A regular on Team Russia, Semin joined Russia's Five Nations team in 2002-03, where he again led his team in scoring. Indeed, Semin was improving so rapidly that it was unclear how much longer he would need to develop in Russia before joining Washington. In July 2003, Washington signed Semin and he earned a roster spot with the team for the 2003-04 season.

Slowly but surely, Semin has added bulk since his draft year. In fact, Semin improved in almost all facets of the game, surpassing Washington's initial expectations and logging more than 50 NHL games in 2003-04. With the departure of The Capitals' star forwards in a March 2004 trade deadline purge, Semin gained prime ice time and found himself running the Capitals powerplay from the half boards, by late 2003-04.

A clause in Semin's entry-level contract stipulated that should Semin not make the Capitals' roster, he could return to Russia if that were deemed best for his continued development, by mutual consent of player and team. Management believed that Semin would benefit from the more physical play that is prevalent in North American hockey. Following the conclusion of the 2003-04 NHL season, Washington persuaded Semin to join the AHL's Portland Pirates. He flourished, helping the Pirates qualify for the playoffs and advance to the second round, before falling to the Hartford Wolfpack.

Once the 2004-05 NHL lockout began, Washington assigned Semin to Portland once more. Yet Semin opted instead to leave North America for Lada Togliatti in the RSL. There, he earned a contract rumored to be in the range of $2 million, replete with apartment, all essentially tax free. Washington responded by suspending Semin for not reporting to the Pirates, in the hopes that this would ultimately freeze his years of service to the club. That in turn would serve to delay Semin's unrestricted free agency status in the NHL. Under the new CBA, UFA status is due to drop to seven years of NHL service or age 27 (whichever comes first). Meanwhile, Semin thrived at Lada in 2004-05, scoring 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 points in 50 games.

Semin has had a trying 2005-06 season. So integral a factor was he in Lada's success, that team officials did not want to let him go. What followed is open to interpretation. To hear Semin's camp tell it, the team leveraged its official ties. As often happens with young Russian hockey players, Semin was drafted into the Lada regional military district to complete his two years of mandatory military service, by playing for Lada Togliatti.

The Capitals charged that Semin and his agent were using military service as an excuse, and initiated legal proceedings against the player, agent Mark Gandler, and Lada Tolgiatti. They pursued this course with the support of the NHL office.

Whatever the actual events, Semin played this season for first Lada, and then Mytishi Khimik after Lada ran into financial troubles. Semin's production lagged this season, as did his salary from his cushy situation in 2004-05. Whatever the reasons, late in the 2005-06 season, Alexander Semin began to lay the groundwork in the media to rejoin the Capitals at year's end, citing the completion of his two years of military service in Russia. Negotiations between the Caps and Semin progressed in March and April, culminating in an amicable agreement that will see Semin return to the Capitals in 2006-07.

Projection
Now that the hatchet is buried, the team is excited about the prospect of having Semin back in the lineup. The Capitals drafted all-world LW Alexander Ovechkin with the #1 overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. While Semin played in the RSL, Ovechkin will have 50 goals and 100 points as a rookie, a feat only accomplished previously by Teemu Selanne in NHL history.

As both players are natural left wingers, Semin may be penciled in to anchor the second-line left wing position. Regardless, Semin is an elite offensive talent. He projects as a top-line left winger and will see ample time on the power play for years to come.

Contract Particulars
Per his entry-level contract, signed July 16, 2003, Semin received the rookie maximum salary for 2002 draft picks of $1,185,000 per season, plus signing and performance bonuses. Owing to the 24 percent rollback on all NHL salaries enshrined within the new CBA, Semin's salary was due to be $900,600 for the 2005-06 season.

Semin was under team and NHL suspension for the 2005-06 season, which left his contract status in question. The Caps and the player's representatives resolved this, however, when they ripped up his entry-level deal and signed a new two-year, one-way contract on April 11, 2006. The deal pays Semin $1.4 million in 2006-07 and $1.2 million in 2007-08, but does not contain performance bonus incentives. The contract contains a clause that prevents the Capitals from assigning Semin to Hershey.

As part of the compromise, each side minimizes its exposure. Semin gets more guaranteed money: an average of $1.3 million vs. an NHL salary of $900,600 (plus bonuses). Moreover, under the entry-level deal, Semin could have made considerably less than $900,600 were the Caps to demote him to the minors. The new deal guarantees him $2.6 million, regardless of performance.

For the Capitals' part, the deal reflects the team's expectation that Semin will be a top-six player for the duration of the contract. Had his entry-level deal (suspended for the duration of his self-imposed exile) resumed, then Semin would have had two years remaining to reap considerable bonuses.

These bonuses are intended to be difficult for players of age 18-20 to attain, but are considerably easier for a developed player of age 22-24 to attain. The team has opted to guarantee Semin a salary commensurate with a fully-developed, young top-six NHL player, capping his potential earnings should he put up highly productive seasons.

Semin should owe the Capitals five more seasons under RFA status, before UFA status kicks in following the 2010-2011 season.

NHL Salary (Career)
Team	Year	Salary	US$ Increase	% Change
WAS	2003-04	$1,185,000	--	--
RSL	2004-05	Lockout	--	--
RSL	2005-06	Suspended	--	--
WAS	2006-07	$1,400,000	$215,000	118%
WAS	2007-08	$1,200,000	-$200,000	86%

Career statistics: HockeyDB.com

Updated: January 10, 2007

Brian Marshall

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