Huselius on waivers

December 1, 200520 yr

Teams are interested in claiming Panthers' Huselius

By Steve Gorten

Staff Writer

Posted November 30 2005

Sunrise -- The Panthers placed Kristian Huselius on waivers Tuesday after attempting to trade him.

The team's willingness to part with Huselius for nothing in return, and coach Jacques Martin's comments after Monday's morning skate, are strong indicators the winger's tenure with the team may be close to an end.

Martin said Monday that the first 24 games "have really helped establish who I want on board and who I don't want on board."

Last week, Panthers General Manager Mike Keenan sent a fax to other teams telling them Huselius, winger Niklas Hagman and defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev, who already had cleared waivers, were available for trade.

If Huselius clears waivers, the Panthers' options would be to release him, send him to AHL Rochester or keep on him on the roster. It appears unlikely Huselius won't be claimed by today's 24-hour deadline.

Wild GM Doug Risebrough said Monday he has discussed Huselius with Keenan, and told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Tuesday he was considering claiming Huselius off waivers.

"I'm going to look at it and decide," Risebrough said. "If you want to do something, you find a way to make it work."

The Bruins also were entertaining thoughts of claiming Huselius, General Manager Mike O'Connell said, adding that he wanted to first gather more information on the 27-year-old.

Huselius, who has five goals and three assists, was a healthy scratch for the first time Monday and played two minutes, 34 seconds the previous game.

His point total has decreased in each of his previous three NHL seasons, from 45 to 43 to 31 in 2003-04, though his skills suggest he's capable of more. He is the Panthers' seventh-highest paid player at $1.21 million.

FIRST SKATE

Defenseman Alexei Semenov, acquired from the Oilers, practiced for the first time Tuesday.

"It was really tough because I spent so much time trying to get my [immigration] paperwork done, but I finally got here and I'm really happy that I'm here," said Semenov, who arrived in South Florida with his wife and son Monday.

"I'm looking forward to playing some games and helping the team with whatever I can."

Semenov said he was "really surprised" when he learned he had been traded, but that this chance with a team where he figures to get more ice time "is what I'm looking for."

The 24-year-old played fewer than eight minutes in five of 11 games with the Oilers this season, his third in the NHL.

Martin said he hasn't seen much of Semenov, but described him as more offensive-minded than Branislav Mezei, lost for the season to a knee injury. Martin isn't expecting much early.

"You have to be realistic. It's not like we're getting a guy who's been a force on another hockey club," Martin said.

"He wasn't playing in Edmonton. You have to give him time, see what he has and evaluate where he's going to be. It's not like you're taking a top-four defenseman from Edmonton and bringing him in. You can't look at him as a savior."

Also Tuesday, injured forward Nathan Horton practiced on a non-contact basis. He said he plans to travel to Dallas next week, but said he was unsure if he'd return to play any sooner.

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