Alexander Radulov has made the jump back home, as the young forward signed with Ufa of the Russian Superleague on Thursday.
The financial details of the contract were not disclosed.
Radulov, who is still under contract with the Nashville Predators, said he had warned the team that he wanted to play in Russia.
"I told my bosses in Nashville that I wanted to play at home and some Russian clubs were offering me much better conditions than I had in Nashville," Radulov told the Russian media.
"They said they would call me back but never phoned. It seems that they were either not really interested in me or just did not believe I could return home. One way or another, I'm happy to come home."
Radulov, 22, scored 22 goals and 58 points in 82 games with Nashville last season and made $688,900. He has one year left on his entry-level deal that pays $984,000 next season.
The former Quebec Rempart added that it was unlikely that the Predators would be able to demand his return to North America, as the NHL had no transfer agreement with either the Russian Superleague or the new Continental Hockey League at the time.
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4 comments:
And Mike is looking for the correct Russian expletive.
I think this may be a new trend for young euro\russian stars to play at home avoiding the small (by their standard) entry level NHL contract and coming over when bigger money is available. Russia could become the new IHL :)
Doesn't it seem that what one GM finds to be bad news, 11 other GMs don't quite feel the same? The hockey pool, rather than just hockey, perspective... As to just a hockey perspective - yup, agree with Chris. Although maybe Radulov and others need a bit of time to realize the disadvantages of living in Russia once having had a taste of North America.
I suspect that as long as oil prices are high the KHL will prove to be a player in luring Euro-talent to stay in Russia.
We forget that it wasn't too long ago that this was normal. For several years after the Russian invasion one of their most talented players - Bykov, stuck around to dominate the Swiss Elite league rather than accept similar money to play in Canada. The Swiss paid him tax free, gave him a house and a car and got his kids into the best schools. What were the Nordiques going to offer him to compete with that?
But then the Soviet Union collapsed, the Finnish and Swedes sent their kids to the W, O and Q rather than keep them at home, and suddenly a generation of kids got their early days playing here rather than at home.
Jagr is getting 18M$ this year and 17M$ next to play for Omsk - and believe me, with money like that in play to lure players over, it is a definite threat to the middle class of player.
As for the rookies like Filatov etc., some sort of transfer agreement will get settled on that brings those kids over sooner rather than later.
The machine feeds on youth and the machine must be fed.
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