The vague notion of an Alexander Radulov return to the National Hockey League gained traction Thursday night.
According to multiple reports out of Europe, Radulov has rejected contract extension offers from his Kontinenal Hockey League club, HC CSKA Moscow, and has set his sights on unrestricted free agency for the 2016 off-season.
“I’m a free agent after this season,” Radulov told Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. “Let’s see.”
Radulov, 29, has been a dominant force in Russia since leaving the Nashville Predators in 2011-12 and inking a four-year deal with Moscow for a reported $9.2 million annually.
The winger has been good for a point per game in each of his four seasons with CSKA. This season Radulov — a two-time IIHF world champion with Russia — has 13 goals and a KHL-best 24 assists though 32 games. He sits second in league scoring behind Metallurg’s Sergei Mozyakin.
In two short-lived NHL stints, Radulov scored 47 goals and notched 55 assists over 154 games.
Speculation has pointed to the Colorado Avalanche as a landing spot for Radulov should he make another flight west.
Patrick Roy coached Radulov in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In May, Radulov’s agent, Yuri Nikolaev, told Russian outlet Championat that Radulov had spoken with Roy about joining the Avs in 2016-17.
Radulov departed the NHL under unpleasant circumstances. He and teammate Andrei Kostitsyn were memorably suspended during the Predators’ 2012 playoff run for violating curfew. Kostitsyn expressed an interest in returning to the NHL in the summer.
