MONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov, who’s a pending unrestricted free agent at age 30, is denying a report that came out on Thursday regarding his next contract.
The report suggested Radulov and agent Maxime Moliver had started negotiations with Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin by requesting an eight-year contract to remain with the team.
“It’s not even close what they’re saying,” said Radulov after practice on Friday. “I don’t even know how this … I don’t even want to discuss that because I don’t really control that.”
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Radulov, who missed Canadiens practice on Thursday, wasn’t available for comment until Friday morning.
“I was sick yesterday and I got that phone call from my agent and he was like, ‘There’s something going on, some people talking,’” he said. “So I was like, ‘Who’s talking?’
“No one knows nothing about it,” added Radulov. “I even talked to Marc [Bergevin] today and it’s like someone threw it on the internet or whatever. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Radulov, who has 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points in 65 games with Montreal this season, came over from the KHL last summer to sign a one-year, $5.75 million contract with the Canadiens.
There have been no details forthcoming from Radulov or Bergevin on the status of negotiations.