There has been a ton of talk about his potential comeback to the National Hockey League, but now it looks like Alexander Radulov might not ever be coming back.
Radulov appeared poised to return to the NHL when his contract with his current employer, CSKA Moscow, had run it's course, which happens to be at the end of the current KHL season. Now however it appears that CSKA is making a major push in order to retain Radulov, and according to a report from Yahoo Sports they have put some big money on the table.
Reports out of Russia are that the two-year deal is worth over $10.7 million (U.S.), or 840 million rubles, which sounds a lot more impressive. He’s in his fourth season with CSKA Moscow, and has 54 points in 46 games. Last season, he had 71 points in 46 games. Bottom line: He’s one of the KHL’s most accomplished offensive players, and biggest names.
However this doesn't mean the possibility of a return is totally out of the question, his agent went out of his way to make it clear the deal was not yet official.
His agent, Yuri Nikolaev, has denied that the contract is done, telling SovSport that – “the negotiations are going. We continue to talk and understand each other. But what will happen next - we'll see. About what stage they’re in and when they will end, I will not speak now.”
As good as Radulov can be when he's at the top of his game, it's hard to imagine an NHL team willing to gamble two seasons at over $5 million per season on a player who has had his fair share of troubles in the NHL.
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