According to reports, Russian forward Alexander Radulov is said to be contemplating a return to the NHL.
A few teams are believed to be in the mix but right now it looks like the Colorado Avalanche may be the favourites to sign him. He’s certainly not a superstar, but adding Radulov may impact NHL sports betting odds for whichever team he ends up with this off season.
For the past couple of months, there has been speculation that Radulov was considering leaving the Kontinental Hockey League for the NHL. Prior to his stint in the KHL, Radulov spent three seasons with the Nashville Predators. In 2012, he returned to the NHL briefly but went back to the KHL after the disappointing season.
While Colorado looks like the favourite, Washington has also been rumoured as a possible destination.
In his first stint in the NHL, Radulov played for current Capitals coach Barry Trotz. Elliotte Friedman recently reported that Radulov was in New York contemplating his future in the NHL, but Friedman doesn’t believe he will sign with the Capitals.
Obviously having Trotz, Alex Ovechkin and a number of other Russian players makes the Capitals seem like a good fit on paper but to this point they seem sort of reluctant to get involved.
Beyond Washington and Colorado, the list of potential suitors also includes two teams from Ottawa’s division in Florida and Detroit.
The Senators could certainly use a player as talented as Radulov but their stance on Russian players has been fairly consistent in the last few years.
In his brief stint in the NHL, Radulov showed a lot of promise. In the 154 NHL games he played, Radulov has 102 points. It was even more amazing because he hadn’t entered his prime at the time. Now, he is considered the best player that isn’t playing in the NHL, and that will soon change if he returns to the league.
At 29-years-old, Radulov is still in his prime and would be an asset to any team that signs him.
