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Alexander Radulov: Talented Right Wing With a Scoring Touch
Written by: Eugene Belashchenko on 06/24/2004 
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HISTORY:
Alexander Radulov was born in Nizhni Tagil, and is the younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks’ draftee Igor Radulov. He followed in his brother’s footsteps to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s hockey school. After spending several seasons with the Yaroslavl club, the younger Radulov joined Dynamo Moscow’s hockey school. 2001-02 season: Alexander Radulov quickly became one of the top scorers on the Dynamo ’86 team. He teamed up with fellow 2004 NHL Draft prospect Sergei Ogorodnikov to form a versatile duo. 2002-03 season: During the 2002-03 season, Radulov continued to play well for Dynamo’s ’86 squad. He also joined Russia’s newly formed ’86 squad, where at first enjoyed limited offensive success, but showed a lot of potential. 2003-04 season: Radulov started the 2003-04 season with Dynamo’s junior farm team, Dynamo 2. Two months into the regular season, he was loaned to the High League’s (Russia 2) THK (Tver). With Tver, Radulov’s career took off, as the young forward averaged a point per game. His performance even merited a recall by Dynamo Moscow, though, after the short tryout, he was sent back to THK Tver for the rest of the 2003-04 season. In Tver, he was joined there by former Dynamo ’86 linemate, Sergei Ogorodninov, and the two have been skating on THK’s top line. On the internatonal arena, a new line was put together at the August’s U18 World Cup, with Radulov skating on the right wing with Mikhail Yunkov and Roman Voloshenko. The line remained together for the rest of the 2003-04 season, and became Russia’s most productive and consistent unit. Please refer to the U18 WJC review for a detailed evaluation of Alexander Radulov’s performance at that tournament.
U18 WJC (April ’04) (Grade: B)
Radulov’s Recall to Dynamo: As reported earlier by RussianProspects.com, Radulov was recalled by Dynamo Moscow from Tver late in the regular season. The move caused a lot of concern regarding the young player’s development, since he was the top impact player for THK Tver in the High League, and most likely would have never seen much ice with Dynamo Moscow. The fears proved to be founded, as Radulov played only one game for Dynamo Moscow (Russia 1) in almost two months with the club, spending the rest of the regular season with Dynamo 2 (Russia 3). While with Dynamo 2, Radulov lost some of the edge he gained while with THK, and arrived at the U18 WJC training camp in not as good of a playing shape as he was in at the February’s Five Nations tournament.
Radulov started the tournament off strong in the qualifying round. The young forward saw the ice well and proved to be a very good playmaker. While his hands are not on the same level as those of Malkin or Parshin, Radulov would probably be the third or fourth best puckhandler being drafted out of Russia this year. The talented winger carried the puck up the ice with confidence and made a lot of impressive set ups for his linemates, especially Voloshenko. To effectively complement his strong array of skills, the young forward does still need to improve his skating, which is currently slightly above average. Radulov was not as dominant in Minsk as he was in Finland a few months earlier, but he still played at a very high level and the young forward showed a lot of heart and effort.
The Medal Round: Surprisingly, the young winger, who is known for letting emotions get the better of him and unnecessarily draw penalties, only received a single minor penalty during the entire tournament. This is a positive and a negative indicator of Radulov’s performance at the U18 WJC. While he played more disciplined hockey, Radulov also did not fare well against more physical Canadian and American squads, which is a cause for some concern. This is likely a mental issue that the young forward will need to battle through. Radulov needs to learn to stay in the play despite physical pressure. Overall, Radulov enjoyed a solid tournament and despite a lackluster medal round, he still solidified his position as a first round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, possibly moving ahead of Enver Lisin amongst Russia’s eligible players.
1986 5 Nations Tournament (Feb.'04) Grade B: The Radulov-Yunkov-Voloshenko line wreaked havoc on opponents. Unfortunately, there apparently may have been two Radulov’s out there on the ice with team Russia. One was the dynamic, creative young forward who shared Team Russia’s scoring lead, aggressively attacking his opponents. The other was the more timid Radulov, who hesitated to fight hard at the boards and take on bigger opponents in traffic. Alexander Radulov delivered, at times, a spectacular performance, playing on the tournament’s best line. However, the talented winger seemed to disappear under pressure, especially in the game against the physical American squad. In addition, he needs to improve his work ethic in his own end of the ice. Radulov has a wealth of potential, especially if he gets some of his attitude issues in order, but he will not be able to reach the level of a top-notch prospect if he does not continue to improve his skating and average top speed. The winger would be so much more effective if he could tap that extra gear. He will most definitely skate for Russia at the U18 WJC. Unfortunately, he may not significantly improve between these tournaments, since he has been recalled by Dynamo Moscow from a club in Russia’s secondary professional league, the Upper League, and will likely spend the rest of the season skating for the Super League club’s junior farm team, Dynamo 2, at a significantly lower level of competition.
TALENT ANALYSIS
Skating: Not one of his weaknesses, but does not stand out with his skating either…technically sound…only slightly above average top speed and acceleration … can be deceiving, using his maneuverability to compensate for the relatively low top speed, maneuvering his way around opponents. Shot: Shoots the puck well…strong, precise wrist shot…can consistently put a wrist shot up to the top shelf of the net. Technical Ability: An above average puck handler…likes to carry the puck up the ice, using his agility and puck control…likes to start carrying the puck in the center of the ice, then streaking up along the boards…tends to over handle the puck. Pass: Has soft hands and is capable of making precise passes, albeit, at times, he prefers not to share the puck. Hockey Sense: Sees the ice well, but primarily uses his gift to score, instead of setting up his linemates…needs to improve the quickness of his decision making with the puck. Defensive Play: Not reliable defensively…doesn’t apply himself in his own zone…tends to cover his man, but constantly looks for an opportunity to go on the offensive. Physical Play: Stands at 6’1 and 183 pounds…needs to fill in his frame to be effective in physical play…competitive, although he has not been as physical as he was last season, possibly due to the higher quality of competition in both the High League and in the international arena…doesn’t battle for the puck as hard this season and tends to avoid contact. Mental Game: A very competitive individual, but has had past issues with discipline, some of which he appears to have resolved towards the end of the 2003-04 season… tends to be a bit hot-headed, hurting his team with unnecessary minor penalties, and has run into some problems with THK Tver’s head coach for arguing…needs to improve his work ethic during practices. Overall: Radulov is a finisher, who sees the ice well and is very skilled. He needs to further work on his skating, work on his physical presence and stabilize the mental aspects of his game to continue his development in the Super League (Russia 1).
NHL:
Alexander Radulov is eligible for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The young forward has a wealth of potential and an impressive finishing touch, but needs to boost his physical presence, share the puck more and shore up his work ethic and disciplinary issues. Radulov’s style is reminiscent of last year’s New York Islanders second round draft pick, Dmitri Chernykh, who also depends on his individual abilities to succeed. Like Chernykh, Radulov is highly touted to be picked in the first round, but may have to wait until the round before being selected.
RP Draft Projection: Late 1st round pick
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- |
| 2003-04 | Team Russia 86 | 5 Nations Tourn | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | +5 |
| 2003-04 | THK Tver | Upper League | 43 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 86 | +6 |
| 2003-04 | U18 Team Russia | U18 WJC (Intl.) | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | +7 |
| 2003-04 | Team Russia 86 | 4 Nations Tourn. (Intl.) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2002-03 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Jr. League (Reg. Season) | 15 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 2 | - |
| 2002-03 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Jr. League (Playoffs) | 10 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 0 | - |
| 2002-03 | Team Russia 86 | Junior World Cup (Intl.) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | Team Russia 86 | 6 Nations Tourn. (Intl.) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | - |
| 2002-03 | Team Moscow | Reg. Tourn. (Juniors) | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | - |
| 2002-03 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Jr. League (Finals) | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 26 | - |
| 2001-02 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Jr. League (Reg. Season) | 16 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 24 | - |
| 2001-02 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Jr. League (Playoffs) | 14 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 32 | - |
| 2001-02 | Dynamo Moscow 86 | Moscow Cup (Juniors) | 5 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 53 | - |
| 2001-02 | Team Moscow | Reg. Tourn. (Juniors) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | - |
Copyright 2004 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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