Radulov leads cast of future NHL stars
Nashville Predators general manager David Poile likes to tell his prospects “the road to Nashville is through Milwaukee.”
But rookie Alexander Radulov viewed the American Hockey League venue as a pit stop on his race to the NHL. He netted six goals and 12 assists in 10 games in Milwaukee before being called up to Nashville, where he has become one of the NHL’s most talked about young goal scorers.
“We tried real hard to keep him in Milwaukee,” Poile says, laughing. “With our younger players, we like to have them spend time down there, and we’ve had good success with that. But he was there about a month and playing lights out.”
When you start sizing up future MVP candidates among Tuesday’s YoungStars Game participants, Radulov, 20, has to be high on the list. He is shifty and creative and has a scorer’s touch. He scored on his first NHL shot.
“It looks like he’s going to be a terrific goal scorer,” Poile says. “And he brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the rink every day. It’s good to have that level of infusion of energy in addition to his scoring ability.”
Radulov had 152 points in 62 games last season for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Remparts.
“Not unlike all young players, there are other facets he must work on, including the game without the puck,” Poile says. “He can get bigger and stronger, and he’s going to get faster in his skating. But around all of that, what he’s done all of his hockey life is score.”
Others at Tuesday’s game with the possibility of becoming future MVPs:
• Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin: Although Malkin is struggling to learn English, his game loses nothing in translation. He seems more comfortable at center than wing. It seems clear that he will someday be among the NHL’s leading scorers.
“Right now he lacks consistent passion and fire, but when it’s there, there is nothing he can’t do,” says NBC-Versus studio host Bill Clement, a former NHL player. “His greatest task is learning the emotional and mental preparation.”
• Pittsburgh forward Jordan Staal: NBC analyst Pierre McGuire, a former NHL coach, believes Staal can eventually be on par with Malkin in terms of league impact. “He has hand skills that are excellent,” McGuire says. “He is almost impossible to contain down low because of his reach. He has Mario Lemieux-like reach. Once he gets an extra step, which he will get just based on strength and maturity, he’s going to be really, really good.”
• Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen: Aside from the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, no young player means more to his franchise than Lehtonen does to Atlanta. The Thrashers hope he will grow with the franchise as Martin Brodeur did with the New Jersey Devils.
• Boston Bruins center Phil Kessel: Although slowed this season by testicular cancer, Kessel is considered the best U.S. prospect since Mike Modano or Pat LaFontaine, both of whom arrived in the 1980s. He has the speed and flair to be a difference-maker, as shown in his two-goal game last week.
• Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar: At 19, he’s already one of the Kings’ best players. He’s 6-4, 220, with an offensive touch. He’s the first Slovene to play in the NHL.