He may have been chastised for not working hard enough, resulting in his buyout by the Carolina Hurricanes, but there's no denying Alexander Semin is one skillful forward.
The 31-year-old has eclipsed the 20-goal mark seven times in his career, three times breaking 30, and in 2009-10 even tallied 40 for the Washington Capitals.
Former Capitals teammate Matt Bradley told an Ottawa radio station in 2011: "I don't mind saying Alexander Semin's name, because he's one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and just for whatever reason, just doesn't care."
Of course there seem to be character issues with the Russian star, but if Semin can get his act together, he could still be a very valuable component of a team looking for offense. So let's look at three teams who could use his services.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are always in need of offensive help. For almost their entire existence, they've relied on a defensive system that smothers the opposition, while hoping one or two goals will cut it.
The team finished third-last in the league with 2.15 goals per game last season and had just seven players reach double digits in goals. Their top producer, Adam Henrique, managed just 43 points during the regular season.
Craving offense and without many options at their disposal, Semin could bring a spark to a goal-deprived Devils squad.
Florida Panthers
After showing secondary forwards Scottie Upshall, Tomas Kopecky, and Brad Boyes the door this offseason, the Florida Panthers need to fill out their attack.
The Panthers have plenty of up-and-coming talent in Nick Bjugstad, Reilly Smith, Brandon Pirri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aleksander Barkov, but none of these names have the experience Semin has, or come close to hitting his numbers.
Florida is a team on the rise, and that could give Semin extra motivation to get his act in gear, along with one of the greatest leaders the game has known in Jaromir Jagr pushing him. Florida could be a perfect destination for the Russian forward.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks might not come across as a team craving more offense, but they could benefit from a player like Semin. The team finished 11th last season with 2.78 goals per game - not awful, but not great.
Though they have weapons such as Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler at their disposal, the loss of Matt Beleskey to free agency leaves a hole in the team's middle two lines.
Semin could help fill that role, and with a team of vocal leaders in Kesler and Getzlaf, it's hard to imagine Semin could put in a lackluster effort without getting an earful.
Speaking of earfuls, the man behind the bench in Anaheim is famous for being loud. Bruce Boudreau's hard-nosed style might not give Semin the opportunity to take a night off. Also, consider Semin's best years were from 2006-10 in Washington. Who was the coach at the time? You bet, it was Boudreau.
If there's a bench boss who might know how to properly push Semin's buttons and get the best out of him, it could very well be the man at the Ducks' helm.
