Barry Trotz Thinks Alexander Radulov Will Re-Sign In Montreal
After signing for a relatively modest one-year contract this summer with the Montreal Canadiens, Alexander Radulov has returned to the NHL with a vengeance. The former Nashville Predators forward came back from the KHL for $5.75MM, and has performed exceptionally well. 41 points in 52 games and the question has now become where will he sign this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent once again.
While Pierre McGuire was speaking to Mitch Gallo on TSN 690 in Montreal, he related a conversation he had with Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz. “I would be shocked if Radulov doesn’t sign with Montreal, he loves it there” said Trotz, making it clear he things the Russian playmaker will stay long-term in the French-Canadian city. Trotz likely has a bit of inside information on Radulov, as the two spent parts of three seasons together in Nashville after Trotz and the Predators drafted him 15th overall in 2004.
For Montreal, signing Radulov would be a big boost to their offensive production going into next season. With Tomas Plekanec slowing down considerably, and David Deharnais looking like a shadow of his former 50-point self, the Habs have serious question marks up front for next season. Radulov has looked like the elite player many believed he was during the short time he was in the NHL, skating mostly beside Max Pacioretty and Phillip Danault – though when Alex Galchenyuk is healthy, he is an obvious fit for the top line.
We ranked Radulov second among our mid-season free agents, stating that he had already done enough to warrant a long-term deal with someone. Be advised Montreal fans, that just because Trotz knows he loves it there, doesn’t mean he will definitely re-sign. If we’ve come to learn anything about professional athletes (and really anyone in general) it’s that money dictates where they go. If the Canadiens don’t offer Radulov the best (or close to the best) offer, he’ll be taking his talents somewhere else. The KHL is always an option, though it seems as though he’s made a decision to come and try to win in North America for the time being.
East Notes: Dupuis, Kessel, Plekanec, Krejci
As Pascal Dupuis enters his first full year away from hockey, he’s expected to remain with the Penguins organization in an off-ice capacity, reports Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. While his exact role has yet to be determined, he’s expected to do some amateur scouting based out of Quebec and potentially some player development work.
Dupuis was forced to hang up the skates last season due to recurring blood clot issues. He skated in 18 games with Pittsburgh, picking up two goals and two assists. For his career, he suited up in 871 NHL contests with the Penguins, Wild, Thrashers, and Rangers, tallying 190 goals and 219 assists.
While Dupuis won’t play this year, he still has not yet officially retired as he is still owed $3MM in salary (with a $3.75MM cap hit) for 2016-17. The Penguins will be able to place him on Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) at the start of the season.
More from the East:
- Still with Pittsburgh, right winger Phil Kessel may not be ready for the start of the season as he continues to recover from offseason hand surgery, tweets Josh Yohe of DK Pittsburgh Sports. He adds that it will be close so even if he isn’t ready on October 13th, he shouldn’t miss too much time. Kessel had 26 goals and 33 assists in 82 games in the regular season with the Penguins and then picked up his play in the postseason, scoring 10 goals and 12 helpers in just 24 games to lead the team in scoring.
- Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec has been named team captain for the Czech Republic’s entry into next month’s World Cup of Hockey, the team announced. This will mark the fourth time that Plekanec has captained his national squad, including the 2012 and 2016 World Championships and the 2014 Olympics.
- Boston center David Krejci is on the ice with a handful of Bruins for their Captains’ practice, tweets WEEI’s DJ Bean. Krejci underwent hip surgery back in late April and his recovery time was estimated to be around five months so it would appear that he is on pace in his rehab process. In a follow-up tweet, Bean added that it’s not looking likely that Krejci will be able to play in the World Cup though he is still talking to the Czech national team.