KHL Star Alexander Radulov Could Re-Join Predators For NHL Stanley Cup Run

The 22-year old Russian hockey star Alexander Radulov, who belongs to the Nashville Predators, has wrapped up his season in the KHL.  Radulov's top-seeded Salavat Yulaev Ufa team was upset in the first round of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs by Jaromir Jagr's squad, Avangard Omsk.

It's a longshot that Radulov plays in the NHL this season, but the Predators would welcome him, despite the fact he abandoned the Predators for Russia over the summer.

The Predators desperately need a goal-scorer to get into the playoffs. He's already under contract, but suspended for signing with the KHL.

Last summer, while Radulov was still under contract with the Nashville Predators for one more season, he had signed a three-year deal with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL. Radulov told the Predators he was being offered better conditions. That led to a war of words between the NHL and KHL.

The Predators claimed Radulov's contract obligated him to the Predators for the 2008-09 season. Signing with a team in Russia was a direct violation of an agreement between the NHL and all international hockey leagues to respect players' existing contracts.

Ilya Kochevrin, vice-president of the KHL, argued that Radulov was signed by the Russian team on July 5, before the agreement with the NHL was made on July 10.

The contract remains disputed. The IIHF suspended Radulov from international play. The NHL has not committed to the 2014 Olympics in Russia to protest the KHL poaching Radulov and other hockey players.

Predators General Manager David Poile isn't ruling out the idea of Radulov returning to the Predators before the end of the season, the Nashville Tennessean reported. Poile always has maintained a belief that Radulov would return to the NHL.

Radulov's season in the KHL came to an early end last week when Jaromir Jagr's team knocked off Ufa 3-1 in a best-of-five series.

Radulov has one year remaining on his Predators' contract and a three-year deal in Russia. If Radulov decided to return to the Predators, he would not need to clear NHL waivers because he is still under contract to Nashville.

In 52 regular-season games with his Salavat team, Radulov notched 48 points—22 goals and 26 assists. Jagr, by comparison, had 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points.
There is still no transfer agreement between the KHL and the NHL.

The Predators are one of the surprises in the NHL this season. The team lost top forward Radulov to the KHL but are sitting in eighth place in the West, thanks largely to goalies Pekka Rinne.

Radulov was drafted by the Predators 15th overall in 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He is the younger brother of Igor Radulov, a former player with the Chicago Blackhawks.

He started his North American career, in 2004 with the Québec Remparts in the QMJHL from the CHL. That year, he finished third in scoring for his team, with 75 points in 65 games.

In 2005, he set a new franchise record with six goals and an assist in one game and later scored seven goals with four assists for 11 points. He owns the Québec Remparts record for the most consecutive point streak games with 50, second in the QMJHL, behind Mario Lemieux with 62.

Radulov scored twice and got three assists in the Remparts' 2006 Memorial Cup championship game and won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament MVP.

In 2006, he won the CHL Top Scorer Award, was the CHL Player of the Year, and the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the league leading scorer. The Remparts retired Radulov's number 22 jersey.