Did Alex Semin Just Play His Last Game With The Montreal Canadiens?
When Alex Semin was signed by the Montreal Canadiens this summer, it was dubbed the ultimate no-risk-high-reward type of signing. Semin was coming off a disappointing season with the Carolina Hurricanes and had been bought out of his contract which paid his $7 million per year.
The Canadiens inked him to a one year deal with a cap hit of just $1.1 million. Semin, a former forty goal scorer surely seemed worth the risk, considering he would cost less than fourth line center Torrey Mitchell and come with two less years of term.
Well, tonight Semin was parked on the bench while “fourth-line-center” Torrey Mitchell, became a second line winger. It’s certainly not a perfect fit for Mitchell to be playing on the same line as Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller, but head coach Michel Therrien has clearly lost all confidence in Semin’s abilities to be a consistent top six winger at this point in his career.
Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
The 31 year old winger has reached the 30 goal plateau three times in his career and even notched 40 goals in the 2009-10 season with the Washington Capitals. After scoring just six goals and 19 points in 57 games last season with the Hurricanes, Semin now has one goal and two assists in 12 games with the Habs. He suited up for the team’s first ten games before being a healthy scratch for seven consecutive contests, and has been back in the lineup for the past two games.
Though he was in the lineup tonight, Semin played a game-low 6:48 tonight. He was routinely replaced on the second line by Mitchell until he took an undisciplined holding penalty early in the third period, which resulted in him being stapled to the bench for the rest of the game.
It could very well have been Semin’s last chance to get into Therrien’s good books, and he could be next in a long line of skilled forwards who haven’t been able to find a role in the demanding coach’s system.
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Last season fans were outraged at the usage of
who showed flashes of brilliance in a Habs sweater, but was in and out of the lineup and ultimately dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for
.
P.A. Parenteau was another skilled forward whose minutes didn’t match what fans expected of him when he showed up in Montreal last summer. He was penciled in as a first line right winger and a lock on the power play, but he was routinely moved down the lineup and even scratched on several occasions.
Parenteau was brought in when another veteran, Daniel Briere couldn’t find a permanent role in Therrien’s lineup. The skilled center was often moved to the wing and never found a niche with his hometown team, finishing the season as the fourth line center where he was able to contribute during the postseason, scoring seven points in 16 games.
Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
This brings us back to Semin. A skilled forward who is not known for his defensive prowess, finding his way into Therrien’s doghouse. In the defense of the coach, Sekac and Parenteau have combined for only ten points in 29 games this season, showing maybe he knows more about his players than us fans give him credit for.
I would like to see Semin get another chance with the Habs, and play a more pure offensive role where he actually gets significant power play time. It doesn’t make much sense to dress a skilled winger like Semin and not put him on the ice in situations where he can play to his strengths.
Over the past two games, the Habs have been trailing for almost the entire regulation time. This is a chance to gamble a little bit and double shift an offensive winger in an attempt to come from behind and even the score. However, Semin was the least used player on either team tonight, and Mitchell, who has a career high of nine goals, was getting the extra ice time.
If it were up to me, Semin would get another chance to prove he can have a decent bounce back season playing with offensive players. However, it looks like Therrien doesn’t agree with me at all, and has seen enough of Semin to make a final decision.
That decision would be to ship Semin out of town whether it is by trade, demotion to the minors or shipping him overseas to the KHL. Therrien has made these decisions in the past, alienating Sekac, Parenteau and Briere before they were all ultimately moved before their contracts were up. Those decisions were met with much ridicule at the time, but in hindsight look like the correct calls.
We will all be up in arms if Semin doesn’t last in Montreal this season, but maybe it is time to trust Therrien to decide which players should be in the lineup and which one’s should be shipped out of town.