Alexander Radulov proving to be a great addition to Montreal
For years the Montreal Canadiens have gone as far as goaltender Carey Price has taken them.
In 2013-14 they finished 21st in goals for, 14th among all playoff teams, while in 2014-15 they were the No. 2 seed in the NHL despite scoring fewer goals than all 16 teams to qualify for a playoff spot.
Last season, without Price, the Habs were a disaster. They actually finished higher in goals for than in prior years but were still in the bottom half of the league, which was too much to overcome without Price.
In effort to boost the offense, and take some of the weight off of Price, the Habs signed winger Alexander Radulov to a one-year, $5.75 million contract.
Radulov had torn up the KHL in recent years, but there were questions about how much of an impact the 30-year-old could make, or if he was worth the ‘risk’ due to some off-ice issues from his days in Nashville.
As it turns out, the Radulov signing has been a huge success.
In 27 games thus far, Radulov has scored six goals and added 17 assists for 23 points. That is good for 2nd on the team in points (behind Max Pacioretty) and 2nd on the team in points per game (behind Alex Galchenyuk).
He hasn’t just brought production to the table. He has also helped the Canadiens control play, and ensure they spend more time in the offensive zone, making things easier for Price.
At 5v5, the Habs have controlled 52.69% of the shot attempts, 56.6% of the scoring chances and 58.8% of the goals with Radulov on the ice. Without Radulov, the Canadiens post worse number in each category, with the difference being significant in some cases.
Some questioned whether signing Radulov was a good move but, as it turns out, the worst thing about it may be it’s only for one year.
Islanders overpaid Cal Clutterbuck
Days ago the New York Islanders shocked the hockey world when they signed forward Cal Clutterbuck to a five-year contract extension worth $3.5 million per season ($17M total).
The consensus among media and fans was that it was too much term and too much money for a player of his caliber. The numbers certainly suggest that is the case.
Since the beginning of 2014-15, 276 forwards have logged at least 1,500 minutes of ice at 5v5. Clutterbuck ranks 243rd and sits behind the likes of dynamic offensive players such as Derek Dorsett, Kyle Brodziak, Ryan Garbutt and Nick Spaling, to name but a few. In other words, offense isn’t his forte.
Clutterbuck doesn’t drive play, he doesn’t provide offense, and he’s not great on the penalty kill either.
Over the last two seasons and change 123 forwards have played at least 200 minutes of 4-vs-5. Clutterbuck is ahead of just 12 of them when it comes to suppressing shot attempts. More shot attempts, in theory, lead to more shots on net and scoring chances, which lead to more goals.
Clutterbuck is a physical player and seems to be loved by his teammates. His on-ice performance doesn’t warrant that kind of money or term. At age 29, that’s unlikely to change moving forward.
This is a contract the Islanders will come to regret sooner than later.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)