There has never been a firm declaration that the Washington Capitals won’t bring back Alexander Semin. He’s an unrestricted free agent now, and all indications are he’ll sign elsewhere.
But with options for scoring wingers dwindling, it’s worth wondering if Semin could re-sign for an eighth season in Washington.
“There’s always a chance, but unlikely,” his agent, Mark Gandler, said in an email.
Asked Monday about replacing Semin, general manager George McPhee talked about internal options like Marcus Johansson and Troy Brouwer. The Russian winger had 21 goals last season, and he’s fifth in franchise history in goals with 197.
Someone in theory has to make up for that loss of production.
“You sort of write it all out, where the goals are going to come from, what can we expect from Brooks [Laich] and Johansson and Alex [Ovechkin] and sort of come up with a total and if you’re happy with it, you go with it,” McPhee said.
In a phone interview in May just after the Caps were eliminated, Gandler said Semin wanted a multi-year deal.
“I’m not going to negotiate a deal through the press,” he said. “But I think it’s suffice to say that we’re looking for a term of years.”
Asked about interest around the NHL in Semin, Gandler offered up nothing, calling them “private discussions.”
