Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford didn’t take the decision to sign Semin to a one-year, $7 million contract lightly.
Rutherford first voiced his hesitation when it came to Semin back in early July.
“We would look at Semin on a short-term basis,” Rutherford said at the time. “We wouldn’t want to get locked in to anything, because we’ve all heard the stories about him.”
Ultimately, Semin agreed to the short-term contract that the Hurricanes GM was looking for, but not before Rutherford had done some considerable research. According to a report from Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington, the process involved contacting former Washington Capitals head coach and current Anaheim Ducks bench boss Bruce Boudreau.
“I remember having a relatively long conversation with Bruce Boudreau, his former coach, at the [June 22, 23] draft,” Rutherford said. “That was the start of us really doing our homework leading to this signing.”
Rutherford and his staff sought out other former coaches, players, and scouts that had come into contact with Semin.
“You get different reviews from different people,” Rutherford said, “but certainly the positives much out-weighed any people that had a negative experience with him.”
Semin has seen his stock drop significantly over the last couple of years, but he’s still not far removed from his 40-goal, 84-point season. Carolina will provide him with a new opportunity and a fresh start. If he takes advantage of it, his next contract will probably be very big.