Nashville Predators' Alexander Radulov to play in KHL next season -NHL offseason Update
With a number of uncertainties including a potential lockout in the National Hockey League (NHL), Nashville Predators’ right winger, Alexander Radulov, has decided to play next season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), according to reports emerging
on Monday, June 18, 2012.
The Russian forward’s agent, Yuri Nikolaev, was the one to make it official while talking to a Russian newspaper.
"Alexander no longer has thoughts, watching the sea, whether he should go to the NHL or play in the KHL," Nikolaev told Izvestiya.
"We are negotiating with CSKA about a personal contract. However we are not in CSKA yet; there are matters we have to discuss with the club's general managers," he added.
Radulov was on a three-year, entry-level contract worth $2.657 million with the Nashville Predators that was to end by July 1st of this year. In a few instances during the playoffs in which Radulov faced a suspension for violating team curfew
timings along with staying banned for more than the described period, it is believed to create a rift between him and the team.
It is believed that the right winger already has a year on his previous contract in the KHL with the CSKA team but instead, the Russian franchise will be looking towards securing the player for 2-3 seasons, which is still not confirmed at the moment.
While for many, a lockout might seem to be out of the question since it seems like all things are running smoothly between the labour and the NHL but that might not be the case after all. Radulov’s agent described a lockout as a very real possibility and
instead of testing the free agency, he is looking for something more secure as an alternative.
In three seasons with the Nashville Predators, Radulov potted 102 points (47 goals, 55 assists) in 154 games played with an accumulative plus-minus rating of 29.
He was selected as the 15th overall player back in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by Nashville Predators. It will be the second time the player leaves to play in Russia as he did so back after the 2007-2008 regular season and made a comeback nearly
three years later.
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