So much for the A-Rad experiment.
After more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel, Alexander Radulov’s time with the Nashville Predators is done according to Josh Cooper in today’s Tennessean, quoting Predators GM David Poile, “The best way to characterize it is it’s time to not pursue Rad anymore.” Full marks to David Poile for not allowing the situation to fester, after the debacle in the desert when Radulov (along with Andrei Kostitsyn) put himself above the team by breaking team rules during the playoffs, the time was right to put a final resolution to this rather interesting chapter in Predator’s history.
When the annual “will he or won’t he” rite of spring began this year... and when it began to look like he might return to the team, I was hoping that Radulov’s maturity level had grown to match the improvement in his play. Sadly, that did not appear to be the case.
Alex’s talent is undeniable, mad skills, a wicked shot, a passion for scoring (on and off the ice.) The question was and still is one of maturity, his play added a new one... does he have the ability to be effective on the smaller ice surface of the NHL, especially in the second season. As things tightened up in the playoffs, Radulov’s effectiveness dropped, he had trouble producing in the more “limited space” type of game that is the playoffs. Perhaps more time was needed to adjust, maybe the bum knee he was dealing with made a difference… Pred Nation will ponder on that for quite awhile.
David Poile says he will trade his rights to another NHL team if Radulov is interested in staying the NHL, my money is on him returning to the safety and adulation of the KHL.
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Pred Notes
- The Predators formally announced the signing of 2010 draft pick Patrick Cehlin yesterday. The native of Huddinge, Sweden is expected to play in North America this upcoming season.
- It’s time to vote for your favorite big blue furry cat… Gnash is in the running for “Favorite Mascot” ... here's the
link in order to vote. Gnash is in a pretty heated battle with Stormy in Carolina, so vote Gnash! BTW, T-Rac is also on this site in the running for Best NFL Mascot as well.
- The Predators have announced Predator Dancers auditions. They will happen on July 29th. If you are interested, go to the Preds website for details.
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Stanley Cup Final Notes
- The Cup will be in the house tonight in LA.
- The LA Kings are the first team in league history to begin every series of the playoffs with a 3-0 lead. In two of their three completed series so far this year, the Kings have dropped game four at home, then went on to win game five.
- Kudos to the Kings organization for coming up with a creative solution to allow their fans to hear the Voice of the Kings Bob Miller and TV Color Analyst Jim Fox. Miller and Fox will call the game tonight (and any potential future games in the final) for recording purposes. The recording will then be available to fans in a yet-to-be-determined method.
- Devils forward Adam Henrique is trying to shake things up by shaving his playoff beard and only going with a mustache. Whatever gets you through the night baby… if this works, you may need to call a plumber for clogged sinks at Staples tonight.
- Another interesting tidbit going into tonight’s game, the potential return of Petr Sykora to the Devils lineup. Perhaps an attempt to jump start the anemic Devils offense?
- I wonder if LA clinches tonight, does NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman get booed? I think we actually may see that not happen to the extent we have seen it in prior years.
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Random NHL Notes
- Michel Therrien gets a second shot at coaching the Canadiens… ummmm, ok. Was there so few qualified candidates that the team needed to recycle?
- The Phoenix Coyotes situation seems to be turning negative again with reports by local media that the team cannot be profitable, even with continued deep playoff runs. The City of Glendale also loses money on this deal as well… the business dealings of both the city and former owner Jerry Moyes in this whole thing was just simply stupid. It is a gigantic mess that just seems to keep getting messier.
- SKA St. Petersburg wants to go after Caps forward Alexander Semin. Hmmm, that sure sounds familiar.
- Bob Hartley is putting his staff together in Calgary, adding former NHL goaltender Jacques Cloutier as an assistant.
- The gossip-as-news being reported by the Toronto media on Brian Burke is simply despicable. I have no problem about the speculation on his future as the Maple Leafs GM, that comes with the territory… but the speculation into his personal life is beyond reprehensible, and completely unsurprising.
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