Alexander Semin remains unsigned 23 days after entering NHL free agency on July 1, but could his long wait end sooner than later? Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford reiterated his interest in the highly-skilled forward Friday at the team's annual FunFest, telling the Raleigh News & Observer that he continues to discuss a one-year deal with Semin's agent.

Teams around the NHL seem scared by the reputation of Semin, a player whose skill cannot be denied but whose attitude has been called into question on many an occasion. Because of that, news that the Hurricanes are only interested in a short-term deal should not be surprising. It seems likely that if and when Semin signs with an NHL team this summer, it will come on a short-term contract as clubs take what they perceive as a gamble on him.

The possibility of a big payday in Russia is just about guaranteed for Semin, but that he's still in North America awaiting a contract suggests that he would rather play in the NHL than in the KHL.