Alexander Semin Snubbed: How He Can Get Revenge on the Capitals and the NHL

It’s all the buzz in the online blogosphere.

His name is posted all over discussion groups; there has even been a Facebook group created.

Alexander Semin has been snubbed in the All-Star selection process.

Despite recording 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 39 games this season, the 26-year-old Russian winger was not voted to join teammates Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green in Raleigh, North Carolina for the NHL All-Star game.

He was not even on the ballot.

The winger has two more goals than Ovechkin (16), despite playing in seven less games than his teammate (46).

While Semin would not have been a surefire All-Star, but he deserves to be in the running.

Semin has reason to believe that he has been given the cold shoulder by both his franchise, who may be overlooking him, as well as the NHL, who left him off the ballot.

In a November interview with Craig Custance of the Sporting News Ovechkin said that he would pick Semin to join his team if he were a captain—Carolina’s Eric Staal and Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom were chosen as All-Star captains—but his support for Semin was limited.

“Seriously, it’s not part of my job to say that I want this guy to be on the team,” Ovechkin told Sporting News.

While he said that it would be nice if the forward remained in the nation’s capital, Ovechkin was not ostensibly irked by the notion that the superstar forward may be departing.

This is not to say that Ovechkin wants Semin out, but it is notable how indifferent he is about a superstar leaving his team.

Since being drafted 13th overall in 2002, Semin has netted 30-plus goals three times in his five year career. Last season, he had 40 goals and 84 points with a plus-36 rating in 73 games.

Semin and the Capitals may come to a long-term agreement, but he will demand a similar contract to those which were given to Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom—who was on the All-Star ballot, but will not travel to Raleigh.

Ovechkin is currently on a 13-year, $124 million contract that pays him through 2021.

Backstrom’s contract pays him $67 million over 10 years and will terminate in 2020.

Semin was offered a one-year, $6 million deal last season. He will most likely demand a yearly salary similar to Backstrom’s and will be able to leave the organization as an unrestricted free agent next year.

Should he opt to leave, the winger will have myriad options.

Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are four organizations poised to contend long-term and have the cap space to take on the expensive winger.

However, his best option may be within the division.

The Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes all have ample cap room, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are the most legitimate contender in the Southeast.

While the Thrash started the year strong, they appear to be fading and are having trouble filling Phillips Arena on a nightly basis.

The Bolts, however, were able to fill their barn—the St. Pete Times Forum serves over 20,000 with standing room—after winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, despite work stoppage for a season.

Longtime Flyer Simon Gagne was supposed to be the catalyst to put an organization that employs Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, but only has 10 points in 29 games this season.

If the team chooses to let the UFA walk this season, his $5.25 million comes off the books, making room for Semin and some defensive reinforcement.

The paramount reason this team’s production and subsequently their attendance declined following the lockout was the organization’s reluctance to add depth to a talented squad.

Semin would dovetail with Tampa. The team gets a scorer who could potentially be the keystone in on a championship squad and the player can get revenge on the Caps.