My intuition says that Radulov would come back if it were with Washington even if the $ wasn't there. Ya know, Semin just doesn't do it for me the way Radulov does. I've always liked him.
Semin just hasn't figured hockey out yet. Semin could have had an awesome career as a pairs figure skater. I do see that in him.
Stone and Fehr played well when Fehr was heating things up back in the day. Remember Fehr was selected one ahead of Getzlaf. Sometimes those old partnerships can work again. Just floating idea balloons.
Radulov doesn't come close to Semin in any facet of the game, and you want to swap them?
If there were going to be any more Russians added, Radulov would probably be pretty far down the list, given his bolt from the NHL already.
I think he could be tempted back. He'll be back before he gets too old. He knows he's good and why shouldn't he want to prove it in the best league there is. Don't know anything but see that as one possible path for him. Is Russia that much better? Old planes for travel. So so ice rinks. So so medical attention. No opportunity for additional advertising income. Eastern motors?
The Caps are not going to trade Semin. Period. Anyone notice how many penalties the Pens took on him tonight? No chance.
$4.2 mil this year and $5 mil in 09/10. What will he want the following year? Tonight was unusual for him to give back on the penalities. I think the scales are still heavier on the sitting in the sin bin side for him.
If Radulov committed to coming to Washington and his salary is $850,000 I'd sure take a good hard look at making something happen. Rad could be OV's new bud. I think his English is better too.
As a non-caps fan, I gotta say, your team is more Jeckyl/Hyde than any other team in recent memory.
And Backstrom is awesome, but you should get rid of Semin, Kozlov, and Green and replace them with grittier players who would better complement Ovechkin.
Imagine Ovechkin on the Bruins, for example. He would be absolutely unstoppable. You need to build around him, not by giving him a bunch of Russians to hang out with. Your team has No Chance against Detroit or Chicago. But please please beat Pittsburgh!
Love
A Flyers Fan (whose team also has no chance, so don't get mad)
p.s. you probably have the nicest coach in the NHL. he's awesome
Last edited by ugiswrong: 05-12-2009 at 01:46 AM.
Reason: to add a ps
For the amount of money both Green and Semin are making they are both highly disappointing in the playoffs. Yes, Semin had a good game 6, but that doesn't mean he'll show up for game 7. Inconsistency is his middle name. For Green, I don't know what to say. All offense during the regular season, no where to be found except when the other team is scoring in the playoffs. I truly hope the excuse with Green is an injury because the guy has been in front of the net pretending to be a pylon for most of the playoffs.
Minnesota needs all of the offense they can get, especially with Gaborik likely headed out the door.
I've been wondering whether Nylander might make sense for the Wild (unless Saku joins Mikko Koivu this summer). Something like Nylander, Morrisonn and a mid-level D/F prospect for Johnsson. Johnsson has a very similar cap hit as Nylander but is UFA after next season. Nylander would have to okay such a move but you'd have to think a fresh start for him might not be the worst idea.
I've also been thinking about the possibility of Nyls going to Minnesota. Johnsson would be a good pickup. If I were to continue with the Nolan theme though, I would suggest Nylander + Schultz (his brother plays for the Wild) for Nolan. It's hard to say if that's a good value deal in general, but it's one I would make. I might even be ready to throw something else in there.
For the amount of money both Green and Semin are making they are both highly disappointing in the playoffs. Yes, Semin had a good game 6, but that doesn't mean he'll show up for game 7. Inconsistency is his middle name. For Green, I don't know what to say. All offense during the regular season, no where to be found except when the other team is scoring in the playoffs. I truly hope the excuse with Green is an injury because the guy has been in front of the net pretending to be a pylon for most of the playoffs.
Lets take Semin and Green seperately. Semin has 13pt in 12 playoff games. He was better against the Rangers than against the Pens, but the Rangers are tougher to score against. The Caps have not lost games vs the Pens because they have not scored enough. In the clutch, when it really counted Semin had his best game of the Pens series.
Green? Seems pretty obvious that he is either ill or injuried. He is not skating with near his usual speed. Something isn't right there. But its also pretty clear that the Penguins are taking him away on the Caps PP. They seem to be more willing to let Ovechkin get scoring chances than Green.
As a non-caps fan, I gotta say, your team is more Jeckyl/Hyde than any other team in recent memory.
And Backstrom is awesome, but you should get rid of Semin, Kozlov, and Green and replace them with grittier players who would better complement Ovechkin.
Imagine Ovechkin on the Bruins, for example. He would be absolutely unstoppable. You need to build around him, not by giving him a bunch of Russians to hang out with. Your team has No Chance against Detroit or Chicago. But please please beat Pittsburgh!
Love
A Flyers Fan (whose team also has no chance, so don't get mad)
p.s. you probably have the nicest coach in the NHL. he's awesome
People are funny. Semin was 6th last season in points per game. Green was 12th in points per game and the only defenseman on the first page of 30. AND the Caps should replace them with grittier players. What a hoot.
The Caps are a second seed because of those two players and get game 7 at home because they are the second seed. They made game seven on 3 goals by Semin and Kozlov and 4 or 5 minor penalties drawn by Semin.
$4.2 mil this year and $5 mil in 09/10. What will he want the following year? Tonight was unusual for him to give back on the penalities. I think the scales are still heavier on the sitting in the sin bin side for him.
If Radulov committed to coming to Washington and his salary is $850,000 I'd sure take a good hard look at making something happen. Rad could be OV's new bud. I think his English is better too.
I have always been a Radulov fan, that kid is good. He is a RW and that combination of talent with OV and Backis would be scary. Radulov can score and he has top end elite talent. He would be pretty close if not better than Semin someday in my lowly opinion. I think Rudalov will never have the hands of Semin, but he can score and will. He is almost a pt per game in the KHL, which I think is more defensive. Those numbers will be high on a line with Ovi and Backis. I would make that trade in a heartbeat. He is a consistent at all levels so far being only 22.
He will not take below 1 mil coming back, he will want a new contract like Semin did when he bolted.
Semin, as talented as he is, he is not as durable I think for an entire season and I think commits too many penalties. I think on a team like Detroit Semin would rule in that system and deep talent. He would be expected to play but not share too much in the burden of offense.
The Minnesota Schultz isn't his brother. He has younger brother that's a power forward prospect in the Blues org.
Ok, good to know. I don't know why I got it wrong, I'm usually pretty accurate about stuff like that. In any case, Schultz might be a guy they could use. I'd actually be ready to give other players away just to get rid of Nylander.
I have always been a Radulov fan, that kid is good. He is a RW and that combination of talent with OV and Backis would be scary. Radulov can score and he has top end elite talent. He would be pretty close if not better than Semin someday in my lowly opinion. I think Rudalov will never have the hands of Semin, but he can score and will. He is almost a pt per game in the KHL, which I think is more defensive. Those numbers will be high on a line with Ovi and Backis. I would make that trade in a heartbeat.
He will not take below 1 mil coming back, he will want a new contract like Semin did when he bolted.
Semin, as talented as he is, he is not as durable I think for an entire season and I think commits too many penalties. I think on a team like Detroit Semin would rule in that system and deep talent. He would be expected to play but not share too much in the burden of offense.
This whole trade Semin thing is ridiculous. Radulov, while talented, is not a better player than Semin. And its not even really close. Semin probably has top 10-15 offensive skills - between his stickhandling, curl and drag and wrist shot...there are not to many players who possess that kind of ability. Its Elite.
That being said...its not going to be a good idea to move this guy. He is an all world talent and he's what 26? That's crazy.
Sure the kid turns the puck over, takes some retaliations but it doesn't outweigh his contributions to the team. If he's gone...they have no true second scoring option. I am sorry, but having guys like Laich, Fehr, Flash...is not going to do it for me.
It also poses an even bigger burden on Ovy. If they weren't keying on him before....well.... they will now.
The team is real young, terribly talented but young. It needs some tweaking. Just a defenseman or two added, until Alzner and Carlson are ready to capably slide in and another gritty forward to ensure the garbage works gets done in front of the net.
Agreed that Semin has world talent and time will tell if it translate for him to be the best among the NHL. Heck he was heading in that direction right up there with Malkin before his injury.
Semin is second to none to anyone in terms of offensive talent, even beyond OV.
But talent, if it does not translate into consistent pts and wins then it is less valuable. Heart produces winners and I am not saying he does not have it, but I have not seen it pronounced. He is fiesty at times though, but if he had Bradley's or Laich's heart and drive he would surpass OV in pts to me. Semin distributes the puck better and is a better shooter.
I would no means advocate trading Semin at all, but if I did play GMGM and had to I would trade him for Radulov to supplement that offense. I would role that dice because that kid is like almost a pt per game in the KHL and consistent scorer at all levels. He to me is about as sure as they come. Rick Nash and Kovolchuk are the only other players I would trade Semin, but good luck trying to get those trades.
As for another gritty forward, I thought Shannahan would have been good for a run this season like the role Guerin is for the Pens. Though Guerin is not exactly lighting it up.
The guys on Versus nailed it last night: Semin has been largely ineffective in this series because he's limited himself to being a perimeter player.
He's capable of getting his nose dirty. Hopefully he'll figure that out as he continues to develop.
I think he's in a pretty much perfect scenario. He's not being counted on to carry a team, so his occasional disappearing act doesn't get as much attention as it could. But when he's on fire, he's incredibly valuable.
Absolutely right. If he can drive to the net more like he did yesterday he draws penalties, except when you don't have competent refs.
Like I said if he had the heart of Laich and Bradley, he would no doubt be a hall of famer. Though I hate Sid, I do like his competitive nature and drive. Wish Semin had some of that and OV's/ We really got shafted when the year of the snake draft. He would have dominated with OV for decades as a Cap. Admit it, if he was a Cap you guys would be defending him like AO.
I doubt we would have stunk enough to have gotten Backis, but in a dream dream dream world. What if we did get Crosby centering Ov and Backis centering Semin? Probably won the cup by now. Anyhow I am going on NHL 2008 and make that team to play out my dream.
Bradley and Laich have the heart because that is what they have. Laich has a little skill. Bradley has very little. They have heart and grit. Ovechkin has elite skill and elite heart and the reason he is such a great player is that rare combination.
The Caps are not going to trade Semin. He is a healthy season from being an allstar.
Nobody is going to trade the 6th best point per game in the league who is 26 and attached to the team.
I'd be laughing at Semin for Radulov idea two weeks ago, mostly because I haven't seen much of Radulov since he exited NHL. Not laughing anymore.
Semin has been very inconsistent offensively, but the bigger problem is that whenever he is not on offensively, he is a direct liability, because he keeps taking huge risks with the puck in all situations. These are exactly the kind of plays that tilt the ice against the Caps, even when the opponents don't score immediately.
Radulov, on the other hand, has been outstanding for Russia in the WC. He scored huge goals with confidence, world-class skills, played a very physical game through injury, and was just consistently visible. Big time performance.
Nobody can argue that Semin has the supreme skills, but Radulov seems to be a much more tough and energetic player, while being far from a slouch in the skills department. He's also going to be cheaper than Semin, since he will put up less points in the reg. season.
So yeah, I'm a big fan of Semin, but at this point Radulov looks like a significantly more useful playoff-ready player -- at least for the Caps, who are missing exactly his type of qualities on the top lines.
