Before free agency began just under a month ago one of the more polarizing names on the market was Alexander Semin. Coming off a substantially disappointing season offensively and with rumors circling of work ethic and character issues, Semin's value was a point of much contention and debate.

For Dallas Stars fans, Semin was a name that promised an upgrade on offense and along the wing in the top six. His potential as an elite NHL sniper was very attractive to those that wanted a much more dangerous offense and Semin seemed to show the ability to be defensively capable after Dale Hunter took over behind the bench. What most could not disagree on, however, was how much was too much for the services of such a player.

Today, 26 days into free agency, Semin signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes worth $7 million. It's likely that Semin was waiting to see what happened with Rick Nash to make his decision, and Carolina has taken big steps to improve this offseason. The question, however, is whether Semin is worth that price tag. Semin is now the second-highest paid player on the Hurricanes roster, despite scoring just 21 goals last season.

In fact, Semin would have been the highest-paid player for the Stars at that price, by far. Semin has scored just 108 points his past 142 games, far below the production his financial value would suggest. It was widely considered, however, that Semin would not take much of a cut from his $6.7 million contract last season -- and he ended up with a raise after all.

Would Stars fans had been happy with this deal? Most likely, considering the space the Stars have under the cap and the fact this is just a one-year contract. We've heard the Stars were never interested in Semin, but it's interesting to see just how much value 'potential' really has.