Drafted 15th overall in 2004, he left for the KHL as a 22 year old in 2008. At this time, he was the team's third leading scorer just behind Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont, finishing with 58 points in 81 games that season. Now, even though he left for Russia, he still has a year remaining on his entry level contract with the Predators. Regulations dictate that he must honor the final year, but there is an incentive for him returning later this, or any, season: playing one regular season game initiates the final year of his ELC, thus allowing him to become a restricted free agent the following season. Then again, maybe that's not something Nashville wants right now given their situation with Weber and Suter, but I'm also not the GM.
According to various reports, including the one that ran in the Nashville City Paper over the weekend, Radulov could very well be on his way back to the NHL in the not so distant future. Preds' GM David Poile insists that the 25 year old star is the "top six forward that a lot of people would say we're missing" and that "he's the best player not playing in the NHL". That's quite the compliment, I'd say.
Radulov is typically best described as "emotional". As noted in the Nashville City Paper article:
"He does not get happy, he exults. He does not get angry, he rages. He does not try to get a laugh, he gladly plays the clown if the opportunity arises. It’s not that he takes part, he immerses himself — in the game, in his rituals, in his relationships."
In a way, that kind of reminds me of how Ovechkin can play; pure, raw emotion pouring out of him while he plays. Granted, Ovie never really accidentally punched his coach in the face, but that's another story. And hey, maybe that kind of energy is what the Predators need to push them over the top? You never know for sure until you give it a try, right?
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