One of the most intriguing deals from the first day of free agency was Alexander Radulov joining the Montreal Canadiens on a one-year, $5.75 million deal. The Radulov signing might be labeled as a gamble due to his troubled past, but it also might be the deal with the biggest potential upside.
Shortly after the announcement was made, Radulov made a few statements which should both put some minds at ease and excite Canadiens fans.
“Whatever the coach tells me to do I will do it.” – Alexander Radulov.
This one is worth filing away for later.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 1, 2016
That’s a pretty noteworthy comment. Four years ago, Radulov infamously missed curfew the night before a Nashville Predators playoff game. After walking away from his contract and excelling in the KHL, Radulov is back to show he’s a new man.
More comments from Radulov via Sportsnet:
“I made a mistake. I’m not trying to say I wasn’t doing it or it wasn’t my mistake. Yes, I did it, and it’s real life. Time goes by and you look [back] at some of those things, what you should’ve done, what you should’ve not done and you realize some things.
I completely know what I’m doing right now and I know what I want and I know how to do this. You have to be more on the hockey, work hard and be ready for everything.”
If Radulov is to be believed, the Canadiens may have a bargain on their hands. Radulov recorded 136 points in 99 KHL games the past two seasons (the most of any KHL player), and while that type of production won’t directly carry over to the NHL, his skill level can’t be denied.
