Alexander Semin (lower body) has been ruled out for a return to action Saturday against the Rangers, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Semin (lower body) has been ruled out for a return to action Saturday against the Rangers, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Analysis:

Semin participated in Saturday's morning session and looks to be close to playing, but coach Bill Peters opted to hold him out for an additional day. It's possible the Hurricanes wanted to avoid returning him to action amid a back-to-back scenario, so it wouldn't be especially surprising if he was activated in time for Sunday's rematch with the Rangers in New York. Though Semin's return is near, he's not worthy of a speculative add, as he amassed just one goal and six points in 21 games before landing on IR.