Alexander Semin wants to move on from Washington Capitals -NHL Update
Right after being eliminated in the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Playoff Semi-Finals, Washington Capitals have had to face a major setback with coach, Dale Hunter, announcing that he will not be returning for the next
season.
On another note, one of their top forwards, Alexander Semin, has also let the media know through his agent that he has had enough of the Capitals and wants to be somewhere else the upcoming hockey year. Semin plans on doing so by entering the market as an
unrestricted free agent.
According to his agent, Mark Gandler, Semin has no intentions of coming back and signing a contract extension with Washington and will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, later on this year.
"It was good while it lasted. With the lack of playoff success, with the direction they are going. They decided to change directions. That's within their rights. Alex doesn't fit into that system obviously," Gandler told ESPN The Magazine.
It is quite obvious that Semin is looking for a Stanley Cup championship and staying with Washington, he believes, is not the way to get one as the team has failed three times straight.
Ending off the previous two out of three seasons as the East’s top team, Washington has not had any success at all trying to make a run for the cup despite having a very strong team.
Along with citing a championship as the reason, it has also been learnt through his agent that Washington is not ready to give him a bigger role on the team.
"I think the issue is with the organization, not necessarily with the coach," Gandler added. "They told us Alex is not going to play short-handed, he's not going to play in the last minute. He's going to get the same ice time as everybody else ... Alex is
not ready to be a role player. He wants to be a full-time player. It's important to him."
Semin is coming out of a $6.7 million, one-year deal with Washington after he has played in seven straight seasons with them. Last season, Alexander Semin put up 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists) in 77 games.
Washington will definitely be losing a top-notch player, but since Semin is focused on a more leadership role, there is little Capitals can due to persuade him to stay.
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