Confirmed Signing with Link: [EDM] Kris Russell (1 year, $3.1M)

[Tad Mikowsky]

They should've signed Wisniewski or Ehrhoff. They fit in with what they need as both play right side.

Chiarelli is a bad evaluator of talent as well as asset management.

This is possibly the worst post I've seen in awhile.

This can't be real.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Take a breath away from the paper numbers and watch some hockey. Good signing by the Oilers.

Do you know how people get those numbers?

BY WATCHING HOCKEY.

 

[luiginb]

Hooboy. Between this, and the Yak trade, bad weekend to be an Oil fan.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Hooboy. Between this, and the Yak trade, bad weekend to be an Oil fan.

Sure thing. I'm sure that you know our team better than we do and better than Chia does.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Russell looked like a serviceable 4/5 NHL defender for us against Vancouver. Good skater, good skill and not afraid to mix it up a bit. He may not be a long term solution for us but he affords us the ability to bench a vet like Fayne who has been piss poor this preseason and/or to drop Nurse to a 3rd pairing or even AHL spot to add more seasoning to his game. Russell will have a lot bigger impact on our club than Yakupov would've this season.

 

[McFlyingV]

Hooboy. Between this, and the Yak trade, bad weekend to be an Oil fan.

Nah its nice to finally get all the bees out of Edmonton that have been chasing Yak around the ice. Thats probably why they're on the endangered list, they can survive in this climate.

 

[nabob]

2A +3 and looking very very good tonight in his own end.

 

[sportsdynasty]

Russell +3, 2 assists his first game. Looks like an excellent top 4 D. What a steal by Edmonton!

 

[WesMcCauley]

Russell +3, 2 assists his first game. Looks like an excellent top 4 D. What a steal by Edmonton!

relax buddy. Elliot has holes everywhere and Flames looks horrible. Give it a couple of weeks atleast before calling him a steal or a bust

 

[valente317]

relax buddy. Elliot has holes everywhere and Flames looks horrible. Give it a couple of weeks atleast before calling him a steal or a bust

I like Russell a lot. I don't really put my stock in with the advanced stats guys who say he is awful, because I actually watch him and like his game. When he came to Dallas, you could see the whole team follow his lead and commit to blocking shots and team defense. It was a noticeable change.

That being said, the reason he didn't work out with the stars is because when the opponent was a larger, more physical team, he got absolutely dominated physically. It became routine to see him quite literally bounce off bigger players. He couldn't reliably win board battles or keep opposing forwards away from the net. He just doesn't have the hockey sense and stick-work to compensate the way that guys like Klingberg and Lindholm can. That's why he's a bottom pair guy and not a top-3 defenseman -- he needs to be sheltered and limited when the opposing forwards can impose their will on him physically.

 

[McPuritania]

relax buddy. Elliot has holes everywhere and Flames looks horrible. Give it a couple of weeks atleast before calling him a steal or a bust

Why? Most people didn't even give it till game one to declare loudly.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

relax buddy. Elliot has holes everywhere and Flames looks horrible. Give it a couple of weeks atleast before calling him a steal or a bust

Would have been nice to see this call for restraint earlier when multiple fanbases piled on, but that's none of my business.

 

[NHL RankKing]

Would have been nice to see this call for restraint earlier when multiple fanbases piled on, but that's none of my business.

I had to laugh at this too. Russell got absolutely lambasted on HF and across social media as a bad signing (even though it didn't cost Edmonton anything).
Nice to see him get off to a good start last night.

 

[tony d]

It's a good signing by Edmonton, russell's a decent 2nd pairing defenseman.

 

[TKB21]

It's a good signing by Edmonton, russell's a decent 2nd pairing defenseman.

This. He really fills a massive hole on the Oilers backend, He will be a serviceable #4 that plays with a ton of heart.

 

[InfinityIggy]

He looked great with Sekera last night.