ALEXANDER SEMIN LEFT WING - CAR Goals: 21 | Assists: 33 | Pts: 54

Shots: 183 | +/-: 9

The Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday signed free-agent left wing Alexander Semin to a one-year, $7 million contract."I'm very happy to be a Carolina Hurricane," Semin said. "It's a great fit for me. I look forward to playing with great players, and putting together a winning season.""Alexander's elite skill level and ability to score from the wing fill an important need on the ice, and we hope that a fresh start in Carolina will serve both Alexander and our team well," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said.Semin has scored at least 25 goals in six of the past seven seasons for the Washington Capitals, including a career-best 40 in 2009-10. Last season, though, he had a career-low 21 goals, and has totaled 54 points each of the past two seasons, down from the 84 he had in 2009-10. He also had three goals and an assist in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games as the Capitals advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.While questions surrounded Semin's desire and work ethic, Rutherford said he envisions him fitting in just fine with his team."We have done a lot of research about Alexander, and discussions about his fit with our team have included people at many different levels of our organization, including players, coaches and staff," Rutherford said. "What's been clear throughout this process was his commitment to wanting to play in the NHL and compete against the world's best players."In seven seasons, all with the Capitals, Semin has 197 goals and 408 points in 469 games. He also has 34 points in 51 playoff games.Semin is the second top-six forward the Hurricanes have acquired this season, joining Jordan Staal, who came over in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins last month.