Canadiens' Radulov: 'I have to lead by example because I have a kid'

The Montreal Canadiens took one of the biggest gambles as free agency opened Friday, signing Alexander Radulov to a one-year $5.75-million deal, and though the Russian forward's character has been questioned in the past, he insists he's matured since his last NHL stint in 2012.

"I have to lead by example because I have a kid," Radulov said, according to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports.

The former Nashville Predators forward expressed his desire to win a Stanley Cup in Montreal, and surely caught Michel Therrien's ear by saying: "Whatever the coach tells me to do, I will do it," according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu.

Meanwhile, his new general manager Marc Bergevin also supported the notion that Radulov's past is behind him, and he's a new man coming to Montreal.

"When Radulov was playing in Nashville, the problem wasn't related to character. It was about maturity," Bergevin said.

Radulov infamously left the NHL after being suspended by the Predators in 2012 for missing a team curfew during the playoffs.

Since then, the 29-year-old has finished among the top-two in KHL scoring in three of the past four seasons, and Bergevin believes he may make one of the biggest impacts of any free agent signed Friday: