Alexander Radulov’s return to Nashville is over about as quickly as it began. He’s heading back to Russia after signing a four-year deal with CSKA Moscow.
Alex Radulov Returns To Russia, Signs 4-Year Deal In KHL

Getty ImagesAlex Radulov’s NHL experiment was short-lived. The former Nashville Predator is returning to the Kontinental Hockey League, signing a four-year deal with power franchise CSKA Moscow on Monday, according to a report from Sport-Express.
Financial terms of Radulov’s deal with CSKA Moscow were not immediately reported.
Read Article >Alexander Radulov’s Days With Nashville Predators Appear Over
Radulov is set to become a restricted free agent once the NHL free agency period begins on July 1. Another team could sign him to an offer sheet, entitling the Predators to draft-pick compensation.
For more on Radulov and the Predators, head over to the SB Nation blog On The Forecheck.
Read Article >Alex Radulov’s Return To Nashville Predators Is Great For Alex Radulov, Bad For NHL

Bongarts/Getty ImagesNow he’s ready to return to the Predators, but it’s very much on his terms. Radulov’s expected return for Nashville’s playoff run is a boon to them and a threat to their Western Conference rivals, but it’s not above NHL rules and it’s fully within the Predators’ rights to take back their suspended, under-contract player. That he does not require waivers to come back from overseas in mid-season is not the precedent of concern here.
The precedent that should worry NHL owners is how easily he skipped out on his NHL contract, came back at a moment of his choosing to “fulfill” that contract’s final year, and basically played the NHL and KHL systems against each other to extract the most money possible.
Read Article >Alexander Radulov En Route To North America, Set To Join Nashville Predators
That was Tweeted at 5:22 a.m. ET Tuesday morning, which was about 1:20 p.m. in Moscow, from which Radulov departed.
According to some savvy commenters at Predators blog On the Forecheck, it appears as though Radulov is on Delta Airlines No. 31, which departed at 12:10 p.m. Moscow time and is set to arrive at John F. Kennedy International in New York City at 3:38 p.m. ET.
Read Article >Alex Radulov To Join Nashville Predators, But There’s A Catch

Bongarts/Getty ImagesThe Medvedev translation via Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov:
Ufa Salavat Yulaev owns Radulov’s KHL rights in 2012-13, and if you’re to believe Medvedev, it appears as though Radulov has no interest in staying in the NHL, whether that be with the Predators or any other club. Medvedev says that if Radulov wishes to remain in the NHL after this season, he’d be required to buy out his KHL contract for next season.
Read Article >