Five years ago, if I told you that Alexander Semin would eventually have his contract bought out, and would subsequently struggle to receive a contract offer from another team, you would call me crazy. You would tell me how he was poised to become one of the best snipers in the entire NHL, and how him and Alex Ovechkin were destined to light the lamp in Washington for years to come. Unfortunately for the Washington Capitals, and for Alex Semin, his days of being a prolific goal scorer in the NHL are probably over.

Semin, after patiently waiting for a contract during this summer’s free agency period, has been signed by the Montreal Canadiens for one year, at just $1.1 million. Earlier this summer, he was the victim of a buyout that marked the end of his short stint of time playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, and if he hasn’t noticed already, he is on the verge of becoming one of the most disappointing stories in the history of the NHL. The most upsetting aspect of Semin’s career? He is radiant with natural talent, and possesses a skill set that most NHL players would kill to have, yet he doesn’t seem to care. Players, coaches, fans, and former teammates across the NHL have watched Semin selfishly rob the NHL of one of the most exciting, explosive goal scorers in the world.

Now, as the newest member of the Montreal Canadiens, Semin has one last shot at revitalizing his NHL career. His one year deal with the Canadiens is what one might call a “show us what you got” type of contract, and it’s entirely possible that he’ll regain his form as an elite sniper, which would certainly make Montreal GM Bergevin look awfully smart for taking a chance on him. It’s possible, but it probably won’t happen. So, let’s take a look at what exactly transformed Semin from an elite sniper worth $7 million a season, to a buyout victim fishing for a $1 million, one season contract.

A product of the Russian Super League (now the KHL), Semin was a prospect with the speed and scoring touch of a potentially elite sniper. Scouts raved about his quick feet and impeccable balance, and highlighted his ability to pick corners with his deadly wrist shot. Above all else, what appealed to GMs and scouts most about Semin was his one-on-one play, and his prowess for dancing around defensemen with his slick stick-handling skills. There was no questioning the fact that his play would have fans at the edges of their seats, and that he had the potential to bring brighter days to a struggling franchise.

Queue the Washington Capitals, a team that boasted a roster with established elite players Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra, and Sergei Gonchar. The issue with the team? Despite the fact that their roster featured these elite players, they simply weren’t winning. After failing to make the playoffs in the 2001-2002 season, the Capitals clearly needed to end their streak of unsuccessful play, and upper management in Washington believed their team could be revitalized by drafting a talented youngster who could bring some energy to the team. Washington held only one first round pick in the 2002 draft, and it was a late round pick (Philidelphia’s 26th overall pick), so Washington GM George McPhee sent the 26th pick, a second round pick, and a sixth round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for the 13th overall pick. He had his sights set on Semin, and drafted him with his newly acquired pick, marking the beginning of Semin’s time in Washington.

After being drafted in 2002, Semin was sent back to the Russian Super League to develop for a year. He then started his NHL career in 2003, scoring 10 goals, and adding 12 assists to make for a successful rookie campaign. Despite the fact that Semin played most of the 2003-2004 season, he wouldn’t set foot on NHL ice again until two years later. Why? During the NHL lockout of the 2004-2005 season, George McPhee had urged Semin to play for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, but Semin ignored McPhee’s suggestion, and opted to play for his club in the Russian Super League instead. This stirred up some serious controversy, and the entire situation got even worse when it was revealed that Semin, as a Russian citizen, was obligated to stay in Russia for another year in order to fulfill his mandatory two years of Russian military service. By playing for his RSL team during the lockout shortened season, Semin had fulfilled one year of his military service, and in order to complete his service, he needed play in the RSL for another full season. So, Washington anxiously awaited Semin’s return to the NHL, extremely frustrated with the way Semin had handled the situation.

The video quality is pretty awful, but here’s a beautiful goal Semin scored during his rookie season.

Fortunately, the Capitals were greatly rewarded for awaiting Semin’s arrival. Alex Ovechkin had been a rookie the previous season, and had impressed the entire NHL by outscoring Sidney Crosby in the rookie scoring race. The two Russian superstars were outstanding together, and Semin absolutely demolished his rookie numbers, scoring 38 goals and adding 35 assists. For the next five years, Semin was a consistent threat to score 30 goals a season, and despite the fact that he was playing in the shadow of Alexander Ovechkin, he still found his place on highlight-reels and on the backs of the jerseys of fans. His wrist shot was his ultimate weapon, and he made a habit of rifling the puck into the corners of the net with precision accuracy. In 2010, Semin reached career highs in both goals (40) and points (84), proving himself as one of the most productive wingers in the entire NHL. Sadly, after posting these career milestones, Semin’s play began to trail off.

Why? Well, as time went on, it became more and more clear that Semin didn’t exactly have the best reputation in the locker room. It wasn’t necessarily because he was a bad guy, but it was more because he frustrated his teammates by failing to put in an honest effort in every game he played. In an interview in 2012, Semin’s former teammate, Troy Brouwer, voiced his displeasure with Semin’s work ethic, stating that “Some nights you didn’t even know if he was going to come to the rink. It’s tough to play alongside guys like those because you don’t know what you’re going to get out of ’em.” By that point, Semin’s goal total had dropped off to an unimpressive 21 goals in 77 games, despite the fact that he was capable of scoring double that number. The Russian winger was struggling, and all of the negative attention he received from the media certainly didn’t help. In fact, during a TSN talk show in 2012, Pierre McGuire labeled him “the ultimate coach killer,” further tarnishing his reputation throughout the league. During the summer of 2012, the Washington Capitals decided to let Semin go, and allowed him to test the free agent market, relinquishing their team of the controversy that surround the Russian sniper.

The Carolina Hurricanes felt that the negativity that surrounded Semin had been over-exaggerated by the media, and they opted to take a chance on him by signing him to a one year contract worth $7 million. In his first season with Carolina, something fueled Semin to perform like he once had in Washington, and he impressed the Hurricanes by putting up 13 goal and 31 assists in just 44 games during the lockout shortened season. At the time, it seemed like Semin had found a home in Carolina, so the Hurricanes signed him to a 5 year extension worth $35 million. Semin had once again proven himself as an effective scoring winger, and to him, I guess, that was enough. The next two seasons, his play declined, and on some nights, it seemed like he had cinder blocks for skates. He wasn’t living up to expectations, and he certainly wasn’t utilizing the natural talent he boasted. After just three seasons in Carolina, he was bought out.

In my opinion, Semin’s former teammate Matt Bradley summed up Semin’s play better than anyone else. In an interview in 2011, Bradley opened up and said, “I don’t mind saying Alexander Semin’s name, because he’s one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and just for whatever reason, he just doesn’t care.” It’s extremely rare that someone with little drive to succeed lands a job as a professional athlete. Semin is so extraordinarily talented that, even as a guy who simply doesn’t possess the desire to put in his best effort every night, he still managed to be one of the most dynamic goal scorers in the entire league. I’m not saying that the guy didn’t work to get where he is today, but I am saying that he had to work a lot less than most other NHL players because his talent is purely innate.

Semin’s performance in the 2015-2016 NHL season will ultimately determine his future in the NHL. Montreal’s signing of Semin comes with little risk, and even if Semin only manages to score 30 points throughout the entire season, his $1.1 million contract will have been entirely worth it. However, the question is, will Semin be content with being a mediocre hockey player, or will he strive to regain his previous form? He certainly has all the tools necessary to bounce back, and climb back to the top of the NHL’s leading scorers. Next season, it’ll be up to Semin to decide if he truly is an elite NHL winger.