Alexander Radulov has made his way to the Dallas Stars, but how close was he to staying in Montreal?
The charismatic winger signed a five-year, $31.25 million contract with the Stars on Monday, but reportedly turned down the same offer from the Canadiens, according to Renaud Lavioe of TVA Sports.
There was a catch in it all, however:
Alex Radulov says Habs offered same deal as Stars only after he agreed with Stars. At that point it was too late because he already agreed.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 3, 2017
Radulov was seeking term and high value no matter where he signed, and after Marc Bergevin awarded netminder Carey Price an eight-year, $84-million contract extension on Sunday, he conceded keeping Radulov - and fellow UFA Andrei Markov - was impossible at their respective demands.
Last offseason, Bergevin took a chance on Radulov, who joined the Canadiens on a one-year contract after four years in the KHL. He recorded 18 goals and 36 assists during his brief stint in Montreal, and parlayed the success into a lucrative deal in free agency.
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