Friedman: Rangers interested in Alex Radulov?

Per Elliotte Friedman, the Rangers have had interest in Dallas Stars winger Alex Radulov. While the interest in a scoring winger certainly makes sense, and the Rangers at the very least kicked the tires on Radulov, I don’t see Dallas dealing him. The Stars re-signed Joe Pavelski, which likely signals they aren’t going to be sellers.

That said, there is at least a bit of a fit for Radulov in the top six, and his expiring $6.25 million contract isn’t a major issue. The problem, of course, is production. Radulov is just 3-15-18 in 52 games this year and is a far cry from the back-to-back 72 point seasons from 2017-2019. Remember, 2017 was five years ago at this point.

Radulov is not a play driver anymore, and isn’t putting up the numbers you’d hope to see from a guy who would be in the top six. He’s 35 years old at this point, so it’s clear he isn’t aging well.

After acquiring Frank Vatrano, the Radulov fit may not be there anymore. The Rangers could still likely use another middle six winger, but Radulov doesn’t pass the sniff test anymore.