Islanders: Best fit from FanSided’s top 10 2020-21 trade candidates

Alexander Radulov | Dallas Stars

Stats (2019-20): 15-19-34
Contract: $6.25 million (Expires 2022)
Position: RW
Age: 33 (July 1986)

You might be tempted to think that because of the way things ended between Alex Radulov and Barry Trotz while the two were with the Nashville Predators that reuniting them is an ill-fated idea.

Barry did bench Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference semifinals after the pair broke curfew. The Preds would end up losing the series and Radulov didn’t come back to the Predators.

But when Trotz joined the Washington Capitals a few years later, Radulov only had praise for Barry Trotz. According to Radulov, Barry helped him become a “hockey player”:

"“Bad coaches don’t work at the same club for 15 years.” Radulov told Lysenkov today. “When I came to Nashville Trotz helped me a lot. I learned a lot. I became a hockey player. The coach trusted me, called me up from the minors. I have only the best memories of Trotz. This is a new challenge for him [in Washington]. Life changed, he had to go. But he has a lot of ideas that he will be able to realize in Washington.”"

Radulov is having his worst season to date in the NHL with 15 goals and 34 points. But the Russian winger typically hovers around 50 to 70 points in a season and returns 20 to 29 goals in a season.

Radulov isn’t the only Dallas Star to be having a tough year. Tyler Seguin has 50 points and Jamie Benn is sitting at 39 points. Both Seguin and Benn typically hit 70-80 points in a season.

Radulov will be turning 34 by the time the 2020-21 season begins, but that won’t stop Lou. If he’s going to bring in a veteran player and he can’t get Zach Parise, Radulov is a great second option.