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Post by GNick99 on Jul 9, 2011 11:16:30 GMT -5
Maybe chance for us to steal Alzner where he is RFA and Caps over their cap limit? Don't know their situation very well though. Offer so much and give up 2 first round picks? I am not really struck on idea of acquiring Semin. I have an idea without Ovechkin most Semin will score in Montreal is 20 goals and 50 points? At 6 million that is a bit scary
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Post by clear observer on Jul 9, 2011 11:37:28 GMT -5
392 games played
176 goals
178 assists
354 points
At only 27, Semin is as slick as they come; a pure sniper.
He's a 30-40 goal-scorer on ANY team in this league...I'd have him on my team without question.
I believe we'd love him as a Hab.
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Post by Marvin on Jul 9, 2011 12:39:40 GMT -5
With the trade of E Fehr, the Caps are now under the cap. I don't think trading Semin and especially with Alzner, is a priority.
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Post by HFTO on Jul 9, 2011 15:34:35 GMT -5
As slick as he is CO where would he play the way the lines are configured now?
With all our high paid forwards one would have to move... no way you pay a guy 4 plus mil to play on the third line.
If Gomez is moved I can buy it,otherwise I don't see this deal going down.
HFTO
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Post by Dschens on Jul 9, 2011 17:29:25 GMT -5
With the trade of E Fehr, the Caps are now under the cap. I don't think trading Semin and especially with Alzner, is a priority. I think Mr. Alzner sees this a little bit different. He's still unsigned and I guess he's not really interested in playing for just $394.872, cause that's the cap space, the Capitals have right at this moment. |
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Post by GNick99 on Jul 9, 2011 18:22:14 GMT -5
392 games played 176 goals 178 assists 354 points At only 27, Semin is as slick as they come; a pure sniper. He's a 30-40 goal-scorer on ANY team in this league...I'd have him on my team without question. I believe we'd love him as a Hab. Remember the numbers Ovechkin put up for Zubrus. Semin is 55 points tops on Habs, at 6.7 million that is huge cap hit. I couldn't even do Kostitsyn straight up for Semin. Semin will score a few more points, not much more, but his cap hit will wipe out any chance we adding anybody during the season. |
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Post by clear observer on Jul 10, 2011 13:56:37 GMT -5
392 games played 176 goals 178 assists 354 points At only 27, Semin is as slick as they come; a pure sniper. He's a 30-40 goal-scorer on ANY team in this league...I'd have him on my team without question. I believe we'd love him as a Hab. Remember the numbers Ovechkin put up for Zubrus. Semin is 55 points tops on Habs, at 6.7 million that is huge cap hit. I couldn't even do Kostitsyn straight up for Semin. Semin will score a few more points, not much more, but his cap hit will wipe out any chance we adding anybody during the season. I'd dearly love to see who'd be right, gnick - but alas, I believe this rumour to be unfounded.  |
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Post by GNick99 on Jul 11, 2011 4:30:53 GMT -5
Superstars make their linemates good players look great and average players look good. Semin is 50 point scorer without Oveckhin. At 6.7 million be another Gomez type player. Gomez was thought to be alot better player than he was when he went to New York and then Montreal. He played on some great teams with Jersey and won a few Cups.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 11, 2011 6:04:27 GMT -5
Remember the numbers Ovechkin put up for Zubrus. Semin is 55 points tops on Habs, at 6.7 million that is huge cap hit. I couldn't even do Kostitsyn straight up for Semin. Semin will score a few more points, not much more, but his cap hit will wipe out any chance we adding anybody during the season. I'd dearly love to see who'd be right, gnick - but alas, I believe this rumour to be unfounded. It's alright to have some fun with it, but I'm having a problem believing this deal as well. Gauthier would make out like Sam Pollock if he pulls this one off. Cheers. |
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Post by Dschens on Jul 11, 2011 11:37:28 GMT -5
It's alright to have some fun with it, but I'm having a problem believing this deal as well. Gauthier would make out like Sam Pollock if he pulls this one off. Cheers. I agree, this deal looks too realistic to be true. Cause the problem in this new world is you have to deal with much more teams. The chances to find one crazy GM who will counter our offer and will deadly overpay for Semin are much bigger than back in the old days. |
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Post by Dschens on Jul 11, 2011 11:56:19 GMT -5
Some oil for this thread: Stu Hackel: The Caps and the cap" When we wrote earlier this week about the big changes some NHL teams have made recently, we didn’t give enough attention to the Capitals — who may have made the most shrewd improvements in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire NHL. They didn’t tamper with their core, but may have added to it if Tomas Vokoun becomes their top goalie at the amazing bargain basement price of $1.5 million. They let some guys (like Jason Arnott and Marco Sturm) walk so they could bolster their depth: They brought in a pair of veteran UFA Canadiens: Roman Hamrlik to give some spine to their sometimes shaky defense corps, and former-Cap Jeff Halpern, who is an upgrade from Boyd Gordon as a depth center/faceoff specialist because of his better offensive ability. They also imported some toughness picking up Troy Brower and Joel Ward, both of whom can contribute timely scoring. There’s lots of character on this team that wasn’t here before. It’s a very impressive remodeling.
But Washington is over the salary cap by nearly $2 million and they still have to sign RFA defenseman Karl Alzner. They may be able to move some of that salary off their books because, as The Washington Post’s Katie Carrera blogged this week, both Eric Fehr and Tom Poti could have long-term injury issues that would make them unable to start the season, so that would buy them some time to fix the problem. And owner Ted Leonsis stated a few days ago that they are still exploring the trade market. They have some guys who can be moved that wouldn’t alter their team too badly (Jason Chimera, for example, who is at $1.8m).
[UPDATE: The Caps traded Fehr to Winnipeg Friday afternoon for a fourth-round draft pick in 2012 and prospect Danick Paquette, and that sheds $2.2 million from their cap. Carrera blogs that talks with Alzner's agent aren't progressing well at the moment.]
Lots of Caps fans have been urging the club to trade Alexander Semin to free up space, but Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post, isn’t a fan of that idea and presented some statistical evidence why he should remain in DC, concluding, “Take Semin off the second line and not only do you reduce the Capitals’ scoring ability, you allow teams to stack their best defenders against the trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Knuble.”
Don’t they do that now anyway?" |
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Post by Dschens on Jul 11, 2011 12:28:44 GMT -5
And here is the article mentioned at the end of the last one: Neil Greenberg: The importance of Alexander Semin" One glance at how the Washington Capitals' roster has changed these past few days is enough for some to suggest that trading Alexander Semin is the smart next move. The argument is that trading the Russian winger would create the much-needed cap space to sign the Capitals’ best shutdown blueliner, Karl Alzner. However, moving Semin just to create cap space would do more harm than good.
Semin has been one of the most prolific scorers in the NHL since the lockout. Over that time period he has scored 166 goals, including five straight seasons of 25 goals or more and one season of 40 goals scored.
Fans only have to look at Semin’s ill-timed offensive zone stick penalties, chronic injuries or perceived scoring inconsistencies to be reminded how he has negatively impacted the Washington franchise. Despite these shortcomings, Semin holds the key for Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to have any hope at a statistical bounce-back next season, because beyond them, the rest of the Washington roster is not made up of proven scorers.
Brooks Laich, who recently signed a six-year contract extension worth $27 million, has never scored more than 25 goals in a season. Mike Knuble can still find the net, but at some point, his age will be a factor. Eric Fehr has the scorer's touch but will likely start the season on injured reserve. Jason Chimera has produced a 17-goal season, but that was once, more than five years ago. It's doubtful sophomore center Marcus Johansson takes a huge step forward from his 13-goal debut and new acquisitions Joel Ward (career high 17 goals) and Troy Brouwer (career high 22 goals) have yet to show they can be consistent 20-goal scorers in the NHL.
Take a look at Washington's best five line combos (based on points scored) over the past two years:
Rank Line Combo Points
1 Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble 118
2 Semin-Backstrom-Ovechkin 96
3 Semin-Fleischmann-Laich 46
4 Semin-Backstrom-Laich 21
5 Morrison-Chimera-Fehr 21
Semin is on three of the top five, two of those combos without Ovechkin. Ovechkin is only on the list once without Semin, and one of the remaining trios features an injured player (Fehr) and one who is no longer with the team (Brendan Morrison).
Take Semin off the second line and not only do you reduce the Capitals’ scoring ability, you allow teams to stack their best defenders against the trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Knuble, stifling any hope that the triumvirate comes close to the magic it had during the 2009-10 season." |
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jul 11, 2011 13:37:16 GMT -5
The trade as proposed seems hopelessly lopsides in favor of the Habs, but I would think a deal involving AKost and Semin could make sense for both sides. Both players are UFA after this season. Semin is clearly the better player, but more than twice as expensive at $6.7m compared to AKost at $3.25m. WSH is still a decent offensive team even without Semin. If they can get a productive player in return that can get them 20-25 goals, it wouldn't be a wash but it would enable them to get under the cap and sign Alzner, without seriously compromising their short-term competitiveness. Losing a young guy like Alzner due to poor cap management would be a disaster for the Caps. It won't happen. Habs get rid of AKost and use the extra cap space that they already have to get a better player in Semin. Since he's a UFA as well, they would just be in the same spot at the end of the season as they would be if they kept AKost. Other teams would be in the hunt, but AKost really is the perfect trade piece for a deal like this. He's young, productive, and cheaper. We would need to add something to sweeten the pot, but I'd be all over this if I was Goat. AKost + a 1st for Semin. Semin/Gomez/Gionta Cole/Plekanec/Cammalleri Pacioretty/Eller/Moen Darche/Desharnais/White WOW!  |
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Post by franko on Jul 11, 2011 13:47:53 GMT -5
don't know, BH. we take on cap space and lose a first for a one-year rental? shades of doing the same thing over again!
if Semin were the piece that would take us to the promised land I'd think it was worth it but I don't think he does. I think we wind up the loser of that trade. I agree, player for player it makes sense, but add the $ . . . not so sure.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jul 11, 2011 14:09:13 GMT -5
don't know, BH. we take on cap space and lose a first for a one-year rental? shades of doing the same thing over again! if Semin were the piece that would take us to the promised land I'd think it was worth it but I don't think he does. I think we wind up the loser of that trade. I agree, player for player it makes sense, but add the $ . . . not so sure. I hear you, but if not now when? Gainey made this bed in July 2009 when he did the Gomez deal and then signed Gionta and Cammalleri. At some point you need to try and win with this core. Now is the time. We had 44 wins and 96 points last year with a pop-gun offense. We played the Bruins tougher in the playoffs than anyone else. There is no dynasty team in the NHL. If we can increase our offense by another 20-30 goals, we would easily be a 100-point team next year. I actually do think Semin, combined with Erik Cole and a healthy Pacioretty and (hopefully) Markov, to go along with Price, Subban, and the rest of the gang would in fact put us over the top and make us one of the top 3-4 teams in the East. If the net cost of that is a 1st round pick next year, so be it. We'd be losing AKost regardless, so you're losing a 1st next year for a chance at a great regular season and long playoff run now. Like Doc Brown said in Back to the Future........ "sometimes you just gotta say what the f&ck." |
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Post by jkr on Jul 11, 2011 14:16:47 GMT -5
I don't agree. If MTL is taking on the extra cap space then they shouldn't be giving up a prime draft pick. Washington should be the one that sweetens the pot.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jul 11, 2011 14:32:28 GMT -5
I don't agree. If MTL is taking on the extra cap space then they shouldn't be giving up a prime draft pick. Washington should be the one that sweetens the pot. I doubt WSH would do a straight up swap for AKost, although it would be great if they did. I think it's more of a competitive thing. I think A LOT of teams would be interested in one year of Alexander Semin at $6.7m, so we would be competing with other teams best offers. If it takes adding a 1st to get a deal done, I'd do it. It's similar to a deadline deal for a UFA, but in this case you get the guy for a whole season. Besides, if we've done our job right, we should have some good players coming in the next 3 years....Kristo, Leblanc, Tinordi, Beaulieu. |
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Post by CentreHice on Jul 11, 2011 14:53:26 GMT -5
If Alzner would be part of it, definitely.
But, like others here, I just can't see McPhee trading him.
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