Confirmed with Link: Kris Russell Signed for 4 years @ 4M per

[McDNicks17]

I don't know how to link charts from twitter, but these Sekera/Russell charts are something.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/878340808209911809

I really dislike when people do this.

He's trying to pass off his interpretation of a player's WOWY as fact.

Yes, Russell's numbers are worse away from Sekera, but he also had much harder zone starts(38.5% vs. 28.1%), a lower ONSH% and lower ONSV% when away from him.

It's not as simple as Sekera was carrying Russell.

 

[The Nuge]

And if in the very likely event we want to trade him somewhere he doesn't want to go?

Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. What if Arizona is competitive in a couple years but still dealing with a smaller budget? Russell would probably agree to go there then, and offering them a #4 dman for 1.5 million probably makes them pretty thrilled. We don't know what the league will be like in 3 years, so why worry about it? We'll find a taker

Supposedly he has a full NTC for the first two years, limited for the last two. Unbelievable.

So? He can have a NMC for the first 2 years for all I care. He's not going anywhere in that time

(I think this is my first post since the playoffs )

Just shows you have to take any advanced stat with a grain of salt. We apparently screwed up trading Marincin, who played like a high end dman in Toronto according to advanced stats, until Leaf fans finally realized he sucks and has regressed since coming into the league

 

[syz]

He's a warrior. Watch the game nerd!!

The only reasonable explanation is that Russell's monumental shot blocking prowess forces opposing forwards to rush their open shots from the slot for fear that he'll get there and block it if they take the time to aim.

Similarly, the Oilers choose to shoot less when he's on the ice because... actually, no, I can't even think of a satirical reason for that to be true. It's just because they're never in the offensive zone when he's out there.

 

[Gordian Knot]

Is there reason these stats are not 5 vs 5? Russell played lots of PK and very few mins PP and that can't be kept in dataset.

 

[Pools Closed*]

Is there reason these stats are not 5 vs 5? Russell played lots of PK and very few mins PP and that can't be kept in dataset.

They're all 5v5. It says at the top of the charts.

 

[Tyrolean]

Though the money being discussed is concerning (too much, too long), my biggest concern is this discussion around no movement clause. Did they not learn anything from the expansion draft, and are they not aware that the league, now being 31 teams, is likely only a year or two away from another expansion team. Great news that we'll have to expose Klefbom or Larsson because of both Sekera and Russell having no movements. And don't talk about going 4, 4, 1, because we also have forwards like Lucic on no movement, or that it's very possible that one of one or both of Benning/Nurse could be the better defensemen by that point. Hooray!!!

Players may give permission to their team to waive their NMC like Fleury in Pittsburgh.

 

[ottawa]

Who is RENAUD LAVOIE?


(Journaliste et expert de la LNH, il est affecté a la couverture du Canadien de Montréal depuis la fin des années 90. Il joint l’équipe de TVA Sports en tant que collaborateur aux émissions Le Premier Trio et Le Match et est affecté a la couverture du CH.)

So, an expert on the Oilers with connections to Chia...

Renaud Lavoie is pretty big, how do you now know him. He's on par with Mckenzie and Friedman

 

[Senor Catface]

How about the fans who are so fervently attacking the oilers on this? Will they be equally pleased if/when this contract pays off?

No way in hell.

If there's something this board proves over and over is that if a poster doesn't like a player, that sticks through thick and thin.

 

[Paralyzer008]

Well, I guess it was fun to dream about the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers needed to improve the blueline to match Anaheim and Nashville and instead they kept it the same. Disappointing.

If Klefbom misses 15 games, this team is barely in the wildcard even with a healthy McDavid.

 

[Faelko]

Watched Tim and Sid on Sportsnet...cringeworthy when discussing the Russell contract. Can't even get the facts straight, unbelievable

 

[Asiaoil]

Don't mind the dollars, don't much care for the 4th year, but here are the reasons he was signed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxC3o2vw1b0

Oilers Record 2016-17 without Russell = 6W 8L

The Oilers clearly value his battle (Eberle possessed none of and that was the main reason he was traded), he knows the system, and coach trusts him. We are in a tricky spot right now with our future 2nd pair apprenticing on the 3rd pair. Maybe they need one more year, but probably 2, and then they will be good to go. Bringing in a completely new 2nd pair to start the year would cost a ton and you don't know if the guys are going to fit in the room. You have to be very careful with the team chemistry right now. It's good for the first time in a decade and we got rid of one of the few guys (Eberle) who wasn't totally buying into the program. I'd play Russell at 2LD until Sekera comes back and would bring in a single vet RD (like Franson) on a short term deal to cover short-term. Keep Nurse and Benning on a short leash for one more year and then you get them on a bridge contract and then make the Russell and Sekera deals go away when then need to be signed longterm.

Chia said yesterday that they have 10 dmen in the system born between between 94 and 98. So spending assets to bring in an expensive #4 who may or may not "fit" could be problematic. Russell cost nothing but cash and I'm pretty comfortable with him covering the bet for the first two years. I actually like him a lot as a #5 who can play 2nd pair on either side when injuries hit. You can dump that contract in year 3 or 4 pretty easily.

So while I don't care for year #4, seems like that was the cost of doing business, and Chia has telegraphed that the strategy is keeping guys who buy into the system, battle hard, and develop the young dmen we drafted ourselves. The cost of acquiring top 4 dmen in trade is just too damn high and nobody wants to give one up unless you are dealing with the Bruins it seems.

 

[Oilyveins97*]

Well, I guess it was fun to dream about the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers needed to improve the blueline to match Anaheim and Nashville and instead they kept it the same. Disappointing.

If Klefbom misses 15 games, this team is barely in the wildcard even with a healthy McDavid.

Ya that rock solid Pen's D core was the deciding factor in beating Nashville

 

[shoop]

And if in the very likely event we want to trade him somewhere he doesn't want to go?

Has the limited NMC been released?

It's easy to see the absolute negative in everything. Can we find out the actual details instead of just assuming the worst?

 

[Kamus]

Ya that rock solid Pen's D core was the deciding factor in beating Nashville

You mean the D-core that has many dman that can move the puck, something Russel cant

 

[Paralyzer008]

Ya that rock solid Pen's D core was the deciding factor in beating Nashville

Hey if you want to bring my spirits up, bring in a winger of Kessel's calibre and promise me Caggiula or Foo become elite forwards too.

That helped the Pens I think.

 

[Dorian2]

A bit long and a bit much, but I like it anyway. When Russel was out for a number of games there was a definite lag in the overall defensive structure of the team. His term will allow the Oilers to bring up the younger guys at a reasonable pace. Way too many people complaining IMO. Deal with it.

 

[Asiaoil]

People are taking the Russell reset thing way too seriously. It's a coaching decision. Go back and watch G1 against Calgary and G6 playoffs against ANA and look at the change in defensive structure of the team. It's night and day. The reset is about having a young team play with structure and slowing things down when necessary instead of running around like chicken's with their heads cut off. You don't go from cellar dweller with zero structure to the SCF in one off-season. It's takes time and you need vets who buy into the program and are willing to do what the coaching staff wants. You really think Russell didn't realize that playing like that would kill his offense when he's on a 1 year "show me" contract? IMHO he put one hell of a lot of faith in the Oilers taking care of him to do that and mgmt responded. But all the chicken littles don't think or care about that when it's so much more convenient to ignore context and anything else that doesn't fit their narrative or numbers. I still don't like year 4 but there are team and business factors that people are simply ignoring.

 

[Game 8]

Excellent signing great news!

 

[MessierII]

The only reasonable explanation is that Russell's monumental shot blocking prowess forces opposing forwards to rush their open shots from the slot for fear that he'll get there and block it if they take the time to aim.

Similarly, the Oilers choose to shoot less when he's on the ice because... actually, no, I can't even think of a satirical reason for that to be true. It's just because they're never in the offensive zone when he's out there.

So again if he's such a liability on both ends and such a god awful D man why is he a + player? Why are his goals against numbers the best on the team? Why does the goalie have an amazing save % when he's on the ice apparently bleeding chances against?

 

[Beerfish]

All I can say is that the last advanced stats darling we signed for too much money and too much term we are trying desperately to get rid of.

As with all stats these things look good until they aren't. A no move or limited no move clause is just icing on the cake.

To justify the deal he will have to be better than his year last year overall for 4 years. I don't see it. (And I don't mind the player at all, he is useful.)

 

[sepHF]

Once RNH gets chased out of town I predict Russell will be the new whipping boy now that Eberle has moved on

 

[Beerfish]

Once RNH gets chased out of town I predict Russell will be the new whipping boy now that Eberle has moved on

Strome if he does not produce well right off the bat.

 

[shoop]

Supposedly he has a full NTC for the first two years, limited for the last two. Unbelievable.

I haven't seen any reports of the NTC, but multiple reports of the NMC.

If Russell really has an NTC for the first two years I see this as a bad deal. If it's only an NMC for the last two years it's much better.

This seems to be a hedge against Nurse and Benning heading into restricted free agency. If they both play well and earn more than bridge contracts at least having Russell under contract gives the Oilers a little more leverage in negotiations. If one or both either aren't worth a contract at all then Russell will be there.

I don't really fear Russell falling of a cliff a la Ference.

The best case I see is Nurse and Benning both continuing to play well and Russell being traded next off-season.

 

[Quality Oil]

I would have preferred 4mil x 3 years just so we can have him off the books quicker, but that's the way she goes, I guess that wasn't an option. I'd like to think Chia knows what he's doing here, but are spending a lot of money on question mark guys like Russell and Lucic.

I think we paid nearly a million more than we had to with this player, but that being said we are hurting for D men right now, especially now that we have Sekera's health to worry about so I'm sure Russell's camp knew that and pushed for the cash. I like Russell, just not necessarily at this term or dollar amount.

 

[Oil75]

If not for the implosion in Game 5 in Anaheim his performance and unbelievable grit would have been remembered in Oiler lore as we moved on to the WCF. He ls beloved by his team mates is a wolverine and even as a 5-6 in the final two years of his deal he will be a very important player. I for one will be thrilled him to hoist the cup here in Edm. Atta boy Rusty!!!