Radulov and the European Situation

It doesn't look terribly likely that we'll see the likes of Alexander Radulov in the NHL this season. The young Russian winger had signed a deal with a team in the new Russian Hockey League in July and it looks like he will remain there, despite him having one year remaining on his entry-level deal with the Predators.

The Predators were hoping that Radulov would be coming to camp, looking to improve on his 58-point campaign he had last season in Nashville, but the 22-year old looks to have been lured back to his home country for a lot more money than he would be earning in his entry-level deal. The signing came days before the NHL & KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) came to a verbal agreement about not being able to sign players under contract with clubs in either league. Seeing it as though it came days before, the KHL believes they have done nothing wrong in what they have done, seeing as though there was no agreement in place.

The IIHF has yet to rule in regards to this matter and five others, including Blue Jackets first round draft pick this summer, Nikita Filatov. There had been six instances where players have been moved where the opposition league doesn't agree with the terms of ths signing. The KHL believing that the players that have signed new deals in the NHL still had time remaining on their contracts in Russia, but the ruling will hopefully clear that up.

For right now, since the NHL isn't going to accept any compensation for the Radulov signing, it looks as though the Predators and the league are going to resign to the idea that he isn't coming back, to a certain degree. The NHL wants Radulov to honour his side of the deal before anything else is to happen, including a new transfer agreement with Russia.

Hopefully, the IIHF can rule on this soon, as the leagues, teams, players and the fans want to make sure that everyone stays away from controversy and that we can all concentrate on the game. For us poolies, we also want the best players available to choose from on the list... it makes for a better year that way!