Will Radulov exceed 70 points with Stars for third time?

Alexander Radulov

About last year

Had 72 points (29 goals, 43 assists) in 70 games. Radulov continues to be a consistent offensive force on a team that needs all the goals it can get. Radulov was second on the team in goals and points and was also first on the team in plus-minus (plus-22), third on the team in SAT (plus-41), and third on the team in blocked shots (83).
It was an odd mixed bag at times, but the bottom line is the electric winger makes an impact on the game every time he's on the ice.

Season overview

Radulov has worked out better than anyone could have imagined when he was signed as a free agent in 2017.
His return to the NHL in 2016 was impressive in Montreal with 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 76 games, but he has since pushed those numbers significantly higher with the Stars. In 2017-18, he was great with 27 goals and 45 assists in 82 games, but he upped that pace last season. He had 217 shots on goal in 82 games in 2017-18 and had 209 in 70 games last season, so he is becoming a significant offensive force.
Radulov reduced the amount of minor penalties he had from 36 in 2017-18 to 27 last season, albeit in 12 fewer games. It was a sign that he understands areas that need to be improved and is trying to make progress in those areas.

Going forward

While the KHL can be an uneven measuring stick for players, Radulov has been a superstar for most of his career. He was a four-time MVP of the KHL and tallied 492 points (169 goals, 323 assists) in 391 KHL games. He's not going to hit those numbers in the NHL, but in his two years with the Stars he has been darn near a point a game player (144 points in 152 games), and he doesn't look like he's slowing down.
Radulov had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games last season, showing he can perform when the pressure is on. He once again should get plenty of time on the power play (he led the Stars last season at 3:06 per game), and could help the Stars improve their numbers there. You can pretty much pencil him in for 70 points again, and there is a chance he could exceed that with the improvement in top-six talent the Stars acquired in the offseason.
Radulov needs to push the envelope to be the player he wants to be, and the Stars need to understand there is going to be overflow at times, but it seems like everyone is on the same page and that his creative play can fit into this structured system just fine.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
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