This weekend the Caps avoided a nasty mess next summer when they signed Alexander Semin to a two year, $9.2 million contract extension. The left winger finished last season second on the team in scoring, and has been the most creative puckhandler in Washington since before the lockout. If Semin had gone until summer without a new deal, he would have become a restricted free agent (RFA). As an RFA, Semin could have signed a…