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

tiger_80

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Apr 11, 2007
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Steady no.4 d-man who's one of the best available on the market. 30 years old. May be a year too long, but they did not have much choice after Sekera's injury.
 

ChaoticOrange

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Jun 29, 2008
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Steady no.4 d-man who's one of the best available on the market. 30 years old. May be a year too long, but they did not have much choice after Sekera's injury.

My thoughts exactly. Maybe a year too long but that's UFAs for ya. Russell fit in well with the team and is well liked.

Value isn't all about spreadsheets.
 

tiger_80

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Apr 11, 2007
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Andrew Ference 2.0.

Buyout material within 2 years.

Ference was 34 when he signed his contract to perform the same role Russell did last year. Russell will be 34 when his new contract runs out. This is a decent to good signing. They won't be able to get a better defenseman for less money in free agency. I think he will play his contract out or at worst they move him with salary retained.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
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Seriously for the guys who say bad defenceman did you watch last year? Im sorry, he is solid gets the puck out, good passer, solid positionally. I get you might not like the term but to say he is a bad defenceman open your eyes

This is patently false. Thats actually his biggest problem. Also...if he defended better (gap control...etc) then he wouldnt need to be blocking as many shots as he does.
This deal is 2 years too long IMO.

Chiarelli has had a brutal week....I cant explain why he is making these dumb decisions.
 

Hemsky is a gangsta

Hemsky is a gangsta
Jun 23, 2004
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re: Possible expansion I think we would be ok because NTC's were not autoprotected, just NMCs. Right now Methot has a limited NTC and Vegas can't trade him to teams not on his list
 

McDNicks17

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I would have preferred a two year deal, but I don't think you'll find too many UFAs agreeing to a deal like that.
 

Draiskull

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Oct 26, 2005
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Ference was 34 when he signed his contract to perform the same role Russell did last year. Russell will be 34 when his new contract runs out. This is a decent to good signing. They won't be able to get a better defenseman for less money in free agency. I think he will play his contract out or at worst they move him with salary retained.

Ference was fitter at age 36 than Russell has ever been. Fayne is only 30 and is already washed up. 4yrs is way too long no matter what way you slice it. Sekera is going to be a boat anchor contract for us in a couple years as well.
 

AUAIOMRN

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Aug 22, 2005
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What possible negotiating power does Russel have to get 4x4? He brings no offense and isn't exactly a rock defensively. Last summer showed the demand for him isn't exactly high and I don't see what he did this year to show he's worth more than he signed for.
 

shoop

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Jul 6, 2008
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The funny thing is HFOil would've loved it if we gave the infinitely worse Brandon Davidson this deal last summer

Probably not. A two year bridge on Davidson would have been the max term acceptable. If Russell is only a three year deal that makes it much, much more palatable.

Ference was fitter at age 36 than Russell has ever been. Fayne is only 30 and is already washed up. 4yrs is way too long no matter what way you slice it. Sekera is going to be a boat anchor contract for us in a couple years as well.

Enough with the shape Ference is in. The over-training, along with multiple other distractions, and not focusing on hockey was a big problem. Completely agreed that four years is too long on Russell if it happens.
 

subnet

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Nov 6, 2005
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Russell had a better first year with the Oilers than Sekera did. The guy also jumped in without a training camp and played his opposite side.

Hopefully he can continue to progress with this team and get those offensive numbers back up to where he had them in the past.
here is what I think the long term plan is:

Sekera has a ntc that converts to a modified ntc after 2018/19. At that time, he lists 15 teams he would accept a trade to. If Chia found a home on one of the unlisted teams, he probably accepts. I do not think the org is willing to have a 5.2 million dollar a year guy on the 3rd pairing.

After 2018/19, the hope is that Benning and Nurse will be the 2nd pair. I believe the org is bringing them along slowly and doing it right. This is a huge change from the previous admin where they would be tossed into roles above their heads.

Russel will have a limited ntc at that time or maybe not even one. The ntc might be for 2 years. With the cap going up, a 3rd pairing guy who is only 32 and is a lead leader in blocked shots will not have negative value, even at 4 mill. The oilers can trade him or use him with whichever of Bear / Jones / Mantha is ready for 3rd pair duties. Because he can play LD or RD, he is a good fit as a 3rd pair mentor for upcoming dman.

Eberle's cap space is going to Leon and McDavid.

Russell is being signed for his extremely obvious (to all but uber analytics nuts) top 4 level of play last year. He is a lefty that actually can play left or right effectively in a top 4 role. Giving added flexibility. He is a solid #4 on most teams and while I also was hoping for a better right shooting guy, Russell was a big part of a very good season last year and is a solid signing.

Last offseason Russell held out for 5 x 5 was the very popular rumor. Had to settle for 1 year 3.5. This year the rumor is 4 x 4. Does this mean he actually signs for .5 years at 2.5?

I would/will be fine with Russell at 4 x 4 but hope its 3 years @ 4 at the most. 4 years just seems too long with Nurse and others still developing.

Steady no.4 d-man who's one of the best available on the market. 30 years old. May be a year too long, but they did not have much choice after Sekera's injury.

My thoughts exactly. Maybe a year too long but that's UFAs for ya. Russell fit in well with the team and is well liked.

Value isn't all about spreadsheets.

Come on guys, what's with all these thoughtful/insightful responses? This is the Oilers HF Boards where you're not supposed to be rational about things, but must over-react and throw major hyperbole around! Jeez!!! ;)

I'm not 100% sold on Russell, but he's one of the better options available for us now, was pretty steady for us, and I 'think' helped or will help mentor some of the younger guys. Not a rock-star, but not a useless pylon. Seems to fit in with the group reasonably-well, doesn't have a massive attitude, and does what he's asked.

Could be a lot worse IMHO
 

SK13

non torsii subligarium
Jul 23, 2007
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Lol some real insight here. Russell may be flawed but at least what I said was fact, the above is just nonsense.

He was 3rd on our team in icetime...

If he is a bottom pairing guy, we aren't playing him like one.

We iced a below NHL average defense that allowed more scoring chances than 24 other teams. Our closest peer is the Canucks.

He's playing top-four on this team because there are no other good options to play top-four. Doesn't make him a legitimate second pairing defenseman. There's a reason we got him for 1x3 in october.
 

McDoused

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Feb 5, 2007
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We iced a below NHL average defense that allowed more scoring chances than 24 other teams. Our closest peer is the Canucks.

He's playing top-four on this team because there are no other good options to play top-four. Doesn't make him a legitimate second pairing defenseman. There's a reason we got him for 1x3 in october.

Rumours were he passed on more money to try and play at home, he was considered one of the top 5 dmen available last free agency as well. Like it or not but he doesn't cost any assets to sign.
 

bone

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Just for fun, using the Ference comparison people like to make. At the same age, Ference had played 120 less games, had 57 less points, was -27 vs. -3, but more than double the penalty minutes. In Ference's next 4 seasons, he played 240 games, had 60 points, 157 PIMs and was plus 33 (and if I recall correctly, played on his off side from time to time) and was a top 4 defenseman most of the time on a team that won a cup.

He joined the Oilers at the end of those four years and many at the time thought he was a good pickup (granted for too much term).

If we got the same 4 years from Russell, we'd be satisfied.

I don't know, it still makes me nervous though. Hopefully, if it is 4x4, it's front loaded so that we can dump him on an floor team in the last year or two if necessary.
 

Hockey Nightmare

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Oct 25, 2007
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How come this team always has to make the ****** signings/trades that everyone mocks? Just for once I'd like to fleece another team.
 

tiger_80

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Apr 11, 2007
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Ference was fitter at age 36 than Russell has ever been. Fayne is only 30 and is already washed up. 4yrs is way too long no matter what way you slice it. Sekera is going to be a boat anchor contract for us in a couple years as well.

Ference was a bottom pairing defenseman at 34 asked to play big role. Russell is better now than Ference was at the time.
 

Musashi

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May 23, 2012
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We iced a below NHL average defense that allowed more scoring chances than 24 other teams. Our closest peer is the Canucks.

He's playing top-four on this team because there are no other good options to play top-four. Doesn't make him a legitimate second pairing defenseman. There's a reason we got him for 1x3 in october.

Talbot did cover up for this D but I can't conclude that our D was in the bottom half of the league in spite of us holding a playoff spot all year. I think that was proven in the playoffs when almost all of our primary scoring dried up and yet we were still a win away from the west finals with a banged up defense.

It always gets pointed out that Russell continues to be deployed in a top 4 role because of no other options yet in Calgary he was counted on to eat as much minutes as Gio and Brodie, while playing more than guys like Wideman, Engelland, Schlemko and Dougie who were established in this league. In the short sample size with Dallas, he played a bigger role than Oduya and Demers. In Edmonton, he walks right into the top 4 playing his off hand over guys like Davidson and Oesterle who had a lot of success together the previous year and a guy who made more money in Fayne.

Not to mention he had more experience playing top 4 in the playoffs than the rest of our defense combined coming into last year. Sounds like to me he's playing top 4 and is about to be resigned because the bosses agree he is a top 4 dman.
 

NedPlimpton

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Mar 23, 2013
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Steady no.4 d-man who's one of the best available on the market. 30 years old. May be a year too long, but they did not have much choice after Sekera's injury.

Yup.

This thread is all acting like he's the worst D man we could have possibly signed.

Proved to me last season he can be legit.
 

bone

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Yup.

This thread is all acting like he's the worst D man we could have possibly signed.

Proved to me last season he can be legit.

That's the problem with our reactions to Russell everyone gets in a tizzy over the money and gets overblown. I doubt many would have an issue with one year even if it was 4-5 millions, also many wouldn't be upset if it was 3.5 for 2-3 years.

4x4 is a risky number as it's doubtful he becomes better than he currently is, and it's often difficult to predict when d-men begin to falter. Lower cap value (in light of how precious it's about to become) you are a little more willing to risk, but there is probably equal amount of chance that he will be the worst of the starting 6 dmen at some point in the contract as it is that he will stay in the top 4. If he's the 6-7 dman in year 3/4, he will be a cap liability that may become a barrier to us winning a cup.
 

Senor Catface

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Jul 25, 2006
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Not a fan of the term or amount, but he simply isn't as bad as some posters are letting on.

He just isn't.
 

FunkyChicken

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Jul 24, 2003
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Chia needs a slap on the side of the head if this is true.
These are the type of deals that absolutely kill you cap long-term.
We're risking the long-term quality of this team for Russell? Be better Chia, don't screw the cap up like you did with Boston.
 

StupidGenius

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Apr 1, 2013
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If it winds up being 4x4, I hope it's structured so it's about 5, 4.5, 3.5 and 3 to help facilitate a trade in years three or four if needed.

Lover having Larsson, Klefbom and Sekera locked in to our tip four, but I'd like room for a Nurse or Benning there in a couple seasons. Don't want to pay Russell 4 million to play third line minutes with PK.
 

redgrant

Registered User
Nov 2, 2013
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Why the hell couldnt they get hjmarlsson???

Chiarelli cant make a single defensive trade where he wins one.

Pathetic a 13 year old GM is able to execute better then he is.
 

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