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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Alexander Radulov Has A Penalty Problem

How can the charismatic scorer quit giving away chances? Plus, the Red Wings have a Dylan Larkin problem, and NHL players have a superstition problem (but maybe not the one you think).

By Kathleen Tibbetts
NHL: Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars
Currently, Rads earns more penalties than any other active Stars player. It’s not close.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

For the Dallas Stars and their fans, Alexander Radulov has become a gift that keeps on giving. His talent and charisma have given hometown crowds something to cheer about, and his enthusiasm has been a source of delight even during down periods.

Unfortunately, Radulov is also pretty free in giving away opportunities to opposing teams, in the form of the penalties he dispenses like Pez. Josh Lile examined the issue in his latest article for SportsDayDFW:

Radulov is far and away the most penalized player the Stars still have on an hourly basis. Blake Comeau is close, kind of -- but with 400 less minutes of ice time. Jamie Benn gets penalized at half the rate of Radulov.

Adding to the problem is that Radulov doesn’t draw enough calls to overcome the number of penalties he takes. Only Tyler Seguin and the aforementioned Comeau and [Antoine] Roussel drew more, but the severe number of penalties Radulov took put the Stars behind the eight ball.

Josh doesn’t point out the problem without suggesting a solution – and for Rads, that could be something as simple as dialing back on his stick penalties (in 2017-18, he led the league in hooking and holding-the-stick infractions):

Some of the penalties he takes are a product of the type of game he plays, but not all of them. Radulov is relentless in pursuing the puck so interference, hooking, and tripping will happen. The slashing is unnecessary. The NHL is a league where 20-25% of penalties turn into goals against. Cutting out only half of those slashes saves the Stars a goal.

There’s more at The Dallas Morning News. [SportsDayDFW]

Around the League(s)

It’s been a pretty quiet weekend, so let’s catch up with some news you might have missed:

How will the Detroit Red Wings sign Dylan Larkin while they have less than $3 million in cap space? They need to figure it out, writes James O’Brien.

John Tavares said his goodbyes to New York Islanders fans at The Players’ Tribune.

Erik Karlsson isn’t the only brand-name defender who’s scheduled to become a UFA in 2019. Here are some of the biggest, from Tyler Myers to Zdeno Chara.

Logan Couture wants to be the kind of good influence on younger San Jose Sharks players that Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have been on him.

Former NHL defenseman Nathan Oystrick has taken on what may be the toughest job in hockey. As the Humboldt Broncos’ new head coach, he’ll confront the challenge of bringing a young team back from unfathomable loss.

The NHL concussion lawsuit takes another turn, as the presiding judge denies the request of former players to certify it as a class action.

Finally

Hockey fans just love hearing about players’ wacky rituals. Their teammates...not so much. Michael Blinn has more. Enjoy.