Over the weekend, Illegal Curve had the privilege of interviewing John Glennon the Predators beat writer for the Tennessean. Glennon gave us his take on Alexander Radulov’s departure to Russia, the possibility that Steve Sullivan will return from injury and how busy he was this summer as compared to last.
Here is the interview:
Richard: How busy has this summer been for you with the whole Radulov situation as compared to last summer with the Predators’ ownership issues?
John: The Radulov situation has made for yet another lively off-season in Nashville. I’d say it’s been every bit as busy as last summer. From my standpoint, it’s been a little bit easier to cover this off-season just because the main characters involved — Radulov, the NHL and the KHL — have stayed consistent, whereas last summer potential new owners seemed to surface every few weeks.
Richard: Having been around the team for a few seasons, and seeing Alexander Radulov on a day-to-day basis, did you ever consider the possibility of Radulov leaving the NHL to go by home? Maybe more specifically, was there any sign that he was unhappy in Nashville, or do you think this was strictly
a decision based on dollars?
John: I didn’t really consider Radulov a threat to go back to Russia, simply because ever since he was a junior-age player, he’d set his sights on getting out of Russia and playing in the NHL. I think the primary factor for Radulov’s return was certainly money, but there were probably other factors as well. He had a very energetic (some might say hyperactive) personality that sometimes wore on his teammates, who were inclined to remind him that as a young player, he should be a little quieter and a little more humble.
Richard: Some people don’t realize that the Predators were as close to defeating the Red Wings as any other team that Detroit faced in the playoffs; with that said, do you think the Predators should have been more aggressive in free agency (and through trades) to try and take the next step forward?
John: I think the Predators could certainly have benefited by going after a proven goal-scorer — even before Radulov’s departure — but I didn’t expect them to be very aggressive in free agency. The Predators had planned to put most of their money into re-signing their own potential free agents, and by the time they were done, they didn’t have a lot of cash remaining.
Richard: Do you think there is any chance Steve Sullivan plays a game for the Predators this season?
John: I’d love to see Steve Sullivan come back this season, but at this point, I would consider it doubtful. He hasn’t played since February of 2007 and there are no indications he’s on the verge of a full recovery.
Richard: Finally, on a lighter note, who are you are more sick of writing about? Alexander Radulov or William “Boots” Del Biaggio?
John: I’ll say I’m more sick of the Boots Del Biaggio scenario. At least the Radulov situation relates directly to on-ice hockey, while the Del Biaggio/ownership business is all about lawsuits and bankruptcy courts.
For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.
