Canadiens reportedly offered Radulov same contract he signed with Stars

Alexander Radulov has made his way to the Dallas Stars, but how close was he to staying in Montreal?

The charismatic winger signed a five-year, $31.25 million contract with the Stars on Monday, but reportedly turned down the same offer from the Canadiens, according to Renaud Lavioe of TVA Sports.

There was a catch in it all, however:

Alex Radulov says Habs offered same deal as Stars only after he agreed with Stars. At that point it was too late because he already agreed.

- Drpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 3, 2017

Radulov was seeking term and high value no matter where he signed, and after Marc Bergevin awarded netminder Carey Price an eight-year, $84-million contract extension on Sunday, he conceded keeping Radulov - and fellow UFA Andrei Markov - was impossible at their respective demands.

Last offseason, Bergevin took a chance on Radulov, who joined the Canadiens on a one-year contract after four years in the KHL. He recorded 18 goals and 36 assists during his brief stint in Montreal, and parlayed the success into a lucrative deal in free agency.

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