Nashville Predators: Top-10 Rookie Seasons in Franchise History
By Chad Minton
Alexander Radulov, 2006-07
With the Nashville Predators franchise still being under a decade old, in came the fiery Alexander Radulov. One of the most exciting and talented players the Predators had ever had up to that point.
Radulov was drafted 15th-overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft but initially spent time in the QMJHL where domination doesn’t even do it justice. He put up 152, yes 152, points in the 2005-06 season in 62 games. He also impressively put up over 100 penalty minutes.
Once Radulov finally got the Predators roster in 2006, he instantly became must-watch. He set the rookie franchise record for points in a season with 37, which wouldn’t be broken for several years after.
Radulov’s dramatic exit from Nashville will always leave him in a dark place among Predators fans, but you can’t deny how electric that rookie season was for him. He lit up Nashville to the point that no one had really seen in this sport up until then.
In the Calder Trophy voting Radulov finished 9th, and he also got votes for the Selke Trophy in his rookie season. He was 7th on the team in goals despite only getting 11:38 of average ice time per game.