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Carolina Hurricanes History: Top 5 Free Agent Busts

By Alex Ohari

SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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#1 Alexander Semin

Despite also technically breaking the rules criteria for this list, there was no way I was leaving Alex Semin off it. The Semin saga started in July of 2012. The Hurricanes initially signed Semin to a 1-year deal for 7 million, after his brilliant run in Washington.

From there, things were looking great. Semin, on a line with Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty, was a revelation for the Canes in the lockout shortened 2013 season, scoring 44 points in 44 games with the Hurricanes, and proving his worth. Unfortunately, that was his pinnacle Hurricanes season.

RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 06: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares to take the ice during their NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena on March 6, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 06: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares to take the ice during their NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena on March 6, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

On March 25th, 2013, with Semin having put up 30 points in 30 games, the Hurricanes signed Semin to a 5-year, 35-million deal (7M AAV), which turned out to be a disastrous move for the franchise. He never matched that 44 point production for the Hurricanes again.

The following season, in the first year of his mega contract, he played 21 more games than the previous year (65) and scored 2 fewer points (42), but did manage to scored 9 more goals (22) while battling injuries. Sadly, it was downhill from there.

RALEIGH, NC – JANUARY 19: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes carries the puck during their NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lighting at PNC Arena on January 19, 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – JANUARY 19: Alexander Semin #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes carries the puck during their NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lighting at PNC Arena on January 19, 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

After wrist surgery in the summer of 2014, Semin was never the same. He scored just 6 goals in 57 games for the team in 2014-15, and was frequently benched by coach Bill Peters. That was the end for Semin as a Cane. The team bought out his contract in June of 2015, a mistake of which the team is still paying 2.33 million annually to Semin through the 2021 season.

After his Hurricanes career dissolved, Semin made just 15 more appearances in the NHL, scoring 1 goal for the Montreal Canadiens. His ineptitude saw him land on waivers again, and, too proud to go to the AHL, Semin left for his Russian homeland, where he’ll surely remain to end off his playing career in the KHL.

Semin, when all is said and done, collected 42 million dollars from the Carolina Hurricanes, and scored just 41 goals, making his contract easily the worst in Hurricanes history.

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Question for CC readers: Who would be in your top 5?

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