Alexander Radulov Relegated to Reserve Unit After Series of Altercations with Teammates

Alex Radulov's most recent stint in the NHL was entertaining and quite fruitful for the Russian forward. In 370 games since 2016, Radulov scored 266 points for the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars. After his last season went off the rails, he is back in Russia playing for Ak Bars Kazan.

In 22 games for Ak Bars, Radulov has posted 15 points with 16 PIMs. On the ice, Radulov is clearly his team's best player; he leads the team in points and his two linemates are the only other players with more than 8 points. The team is 9-9-4 and currently rest 15 points behind Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the Division lead.

The team's struggles have manifested themselves in the form of intra-squad confrontations, with Radulov smack-dab in the middle. According to Russian sports publication Sport24, has been relegated to the team's reserves following a series of outbursts. The story's owner, Dmitry Erykalov, reports that Radulov was fined earlier in the season for a cross-check to the back of Vasili Atanasov.

The forward has slowly unraveled over the past few weeks, inciting more than one confrontation with his teammates. It is obvious his relegation to the team's 'reserve' unit is not about his play. Radulov had one incident with teammate Alexander Burmistrov - formerly of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets - in which the two got into a fight. Znarka had no choice but to scratch Radulov. It sends a message to not only Radulov, but everyone else on the roster; which, by the way, does not sound like the healthiest of rooms.

Notable Ak Bars players you might know:
- Vyacheslav Voynov (kicked out of the NHL for brutally assaulting his girlfriend)
- Vadim Shipachyov (left the NHL after getting scratched a couple times)

These struggles have put the organization in the position of having to move players out. Erykalov notes that the organization is actively fielding offers on Shipachyov and Daniil Tarasov, who also sits on the reserve unit with Radulov.

Despite the fact that he is no longer in North America, it is somewhat comforting to learn that Alexander Radulov is the same, crazy fella we all grew to love while he was over here. Say what you will, the guy has passion.

Source: Sport24

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