It appears Alexander Radulov's days with the Nashville Predators are over.
According to the Nashville Tennessean, Predators general manager David Poile will try to trade the Russian forward's rights or allow him to return to the Kontinental Hockey League.
"The best way to characterize it is it's time to not pursue Rad anymore," Poile told the Tennessean. "If he wants to play in the KHL that's fine, if he wants to play with another NHL team I'd be willing to trade his rights.
"We feel the fit right now is not with Nashville," Poile added.
Radulov just completed an eventful season in which he returned to the NHL for the first time since leaving for Russia in 2008. He played 50 games for Ufa in the KHL before returning to Nashville in March and playing nine regular season games for the Predators. He contributed six points in eight playoff games, but was suspended by the team during the second round after he and Andrei Kostitsyn were cited for violating team rules while the team was in Phoenix.
The Predators went on to be eliminated by the Coyotes in five games.
"I have reached out to a few teams in the NHL to see whether there is any interest," Poile told the newspaper. "If there is, there's the possibility we could trade his rights."
Radulov, who turns 26 next month, is a restricted free agent. He was a first-round pick of the Predators (15th overall) in the 2004 Draft, and has compiled 47 goals and 55 assists in 154 NHL contests.
