The numbers are good with Alex Semin.
The numbers have sometimes been great.
However, even though Semin has scored 30 or more goals in three of the last six seasons and he is just approaching what should be the prime of his career, there is a strong feeling around the NHL that Semin, 28, just does not have the heart to be an impact player.
It's certainly not the talent. When it comes to skating speed, shooting ability and the knack for finding the weak spots in the defense, he's an elite-level player.
However, when it comes to grinding it out on a night-in, night-out basis, Semin has never shown that he's willing to pay the price.
Semin scored 40 goals and added 44 assists in 2009-10. It looked like he would team with Alex Ovechkin to take the Capitals to the top of the league. However, the top-seeded Caps lost a first-round series to the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens and the team nor Semin was ever the same again.
Semin scored 28 goals in 2010-11 and 21 goals last year.
As a free agent this summer, he was left on the open market for nearly four weeks before the Carolina Hurricanes signed him to a one-year, $7 million contract (source: Charlotte News & Observer) July 26.
Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford made the offer to Semin and told the media that he's optimistic about Semin's ability to help the Canes.
“I’d like to think it will be a good fit for both sides and will end up being a long-term thing,” Rutherford told Chip Alexander of the Charlotte News & Observer.
Not exactly the warmest welcome ever given to a free agent. Rutherford has hope that the move will work out on the day that he signs him. It's not a confidence builder by any stretch.
Semin was criticized harshly by former NHL coach Marc Crawford and NBC analyst Pierre McGuire on the TSN free agency preview show July 1.
Crawford compared Semin to free-agent superstar Zach Parise (source: CBSSports.com) and said, "One guy has a ton character, the other guy has no character."
McGuire continued along the same line and said Semin was "not a great teammate...He's the ultimate coach killer."
Clearly Rutherford is not making a full bet that Semin will turn things around and play like an all-star. However, he is giving him a chance to prove his critics wrong.
The Canes want Semin to put the puck in the net. They finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with 213 goals last season and they clearly need more finishers. Semin has the shot to help the Hurricanes increase their production level.
But Semin has to show that he is willing to pay the price and come to play every night. He's going to have to take his hits and keep on barreling towards the net.
If he starts floating and doesn't go near the dirty areas at all and just waits for scoring opportunities to come to him, then the Hurricanes are likely to be disappointed in his performance.
But if he comes out of the gate charging and gets off to a good start, it could be a sign that the talented Semin wants to prove his critics wrong and get a big contract next year.
He's got more doubters than supporters, but he has an opportunity to make a bold statement.
The rest is up to him.
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