The Capitals came to terms on a one-year, $6 million contract extension with right wing Alexander Semin on Saturday night.
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The 25-year-old was set to become a restricted free agent after this season. Now he remains with the organization through the 2010-2011 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent with the chance to sign with any NHL team. His signing also allows general manager George McPhee to focus on the contract status of his other premier restricted free agent – center Nicklas Backstrom, 22.
“I think [Semin] is really comfortable here in Washington. This is a player we drafted and developed,” McPhee said. “He’s become a very, very good player and continues to improve. Hopefully, this [contract] makes him even better and doesn’t serve as a distraction for him any more. And that he’s ready to just commit to our club and be really good moving forward.”
Semin makes $5 million this season and has a salary-cap hit of $4.6 million. That will rise to $6 million on both counts next season, according to league sources. Washington does not disclose financial terms of contracts. Semin hasn’t been healthy for a full season over the last three years. But when he is on the ice Semin is as productive as any player in the NHL. In 29 games so far he has 14 goals and 18 assists. He had 34 goals and 45 assists in 62 games last season. He had 26 goals and 16 assists in 2007-08 and 38 goals in 77 games the year before that.
“I’m just extremely happy to sign here because I like this team. I’ve been playing for this team for a very long time,” Semin, the second-longest tenured Caps player save forward Boyd Gordon, said through an interpreter after Saturday’s 4-1 win over New Jersey. “I like everything here and everything is so native to me now. The offer was good and I liked it. That’s why I signed.”
