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

[Arturs Irbe]

There is absolutely zero guarantee someone will take him when he's older and worse.

We said this about Pouliot and Fayne and they're STILL HERE.

I don't think anyone has said that about Pou or Fayne.

 

[guymez]

We were a good team last year

In spite of Russell.

Also...this team was supposed improve next season and take the next step. Tough to do that when you dont actually improve the defence.

 

[SDig14]

There is absolutely zero guarantee someone will take him when he's older and worse.

We said this about Pouliot and Fayne and they're STILL HERE. And if they're still here after tonight then we won't be getting rid of them.

We tried to trade Pouliot and Fayne?

 

[SPIRIT]

Alright. Enough of this nay-saying, sky-is-falling, boo-hoo we signed a solid top-4-d-man-that-many-other-teams-wanted hogwash. This guy is a warrior and we should be smitten with this signing. I am.

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

Watch that. Guy gets smoked by a thunderous Ritchie-charge in the playoffs vs. the Ducks. Gets right up, shrugs off a concerned T.D Forss, throws a flippin' 'bo at a Duck on his way back to the bench, then plays a solid game.

Dude gets himself in-front of more pucks than anyone in the league and just keeps battling. Character like that has a premium, especially when he's a perfectly sufficient defender polishing a 2-way game.

Edmonton was a brand new team for him last year, D take time to adjust to new systems. Buddy fit right in. I'm proud of this signing. What kind of fan are you? Gonna mope and stare at your fancy-stats calculators or watch a game, read a play, listen to the coaches and the GM, observe the game-within-the-game, and realize he's an absolute beauty and celebrate.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I don't think anyone has said that about Pou or Fayne.

People have said "Oh we can just package him with a pick and Vegas or Arizona will take him".

Hasn't happened yet.

 

[shoop]

As if the 4 year term wasnt bad enough...Chiarelli relents to tying his own hands on moving the player after 2 years.

F***ing brilliant if true.

It really depends how the now movement clause is written. No NMC in the first two years is very interesting. If Benning and Nurse both outperform this year and earn big paydays as RFAs then Russell could get moved next off-season.

 

[McDoused]

Russell is not a top 4 Dman on a good team. Thats a large part of the problem.

He was last year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

We tried to trade Pouliot and Fayne?

If Chiarelli hasn't tried to deal them by now he's not doing his job.

 

[PaPaDee]

I hope he'll get a chance to play on his stronger, left side while Sekera is out:

Klefbom - Larsson
Russell - Benning
Nurse - Fayne??

Hopefully Sekera heals up quickly! I'd still like to add another RHD.

 

[RuneMcEres]

People have said "Oh we can just package him with a pick and Vegas or Arizona will take him".

Hasn't happened yet.

To be fair, it still can.

 

[oXo Cube]

There is absolutely zero guarantee someone will take him when he's older and worse.

We said this about Pouliot and Fayne and they're STILL HERE. And if they're still here after tonight then we won't be getting rid of them.

Neither of those players are on front loaded deals, and up until right now they both have had multiple years left in all cases. Not the same.

Trust me though, I'm certainly no fan of this move.

 

[Musashi]

In spite of Russell.

Also...this team was supposed improve next season and take the next step. Tough to do that when you dont actually improve the defence.

In spite? It was his first year with the team and he stepped up and contributed on his opposite side.

Also come playoff time, he wasn't great against San Jose but he stepped up big time against Anaheim along with Benning. Larsson was the guy who struggled in that series but you'll never hear a bad thing about him.

 

[SDig14]

If Chiarelli hasn't tried to deal them by now he's not doing his job.

So you don't like the Russell deal but want him to make a bad trade for cap that we don't need? I'm not understanding.

To give up a pick or prospect for someone to take Fayne when his contract is over before McDavid's kicks in makes zero sense.

And you're better off waiting for Pouliot to have one year left and it costs less to have someone take it off your hands.

Why worry this year with no cap issues?

 

[guymez]

Not trying to accomplish anything. The fact that we are all here discussing hockey trades on the internet on a Friday morning means that most of us are accomplishing very little currently.

Hey man...just trying to understand your post. Was hoping you would elaborate instead of just leaving it as a drive by shot.
If you dont want to support what you posted thats okay by me.

 

[doulos]

Hey man...just trying to understand your post. Was hoping you would elaborate instead of just leaving it as a drive by shot.
If you dont want to support what you posted thats okay by me.

I just find the BS of these boards entertaining at times, even when I'm part of the source!

 

[NeverForget06]

 

[McDeepika]

The are so many D available this year and we have legit assets to offer (Nurse/Puljujarvi/picks). Really disappointed that Chia couldn't find an upgrade.

 

[guymez]

In spite? It was his first year with the team and he stepped up and contributed on his opposite side.

Also come playoff time, he wasn't great against San Jose but he stepped up big time against Anaheim along with Benning. Larsson was the guy who struggled in that series but you'll never hear a bad thing about him.

His gap control is terrible....his puck management puts the team in bad situations time and time again. Thats primarily why he has to block so many shots.
The advanced stats support this as well.

But because he is courageous and is better than average at covering for his own continual mistakes this somehow makes him part of the solution.

Very perplexing.

 

[bone]

Curious what the real details are. Hearing people spouting a signing bonus in Year 4 (which is beyond stupid if true if it is excessive), but others saying front loaded. If it truly is 5/4.5/4/2.5, I can live with it provided the modified NTC isn't too restrictive. Assuming the rumbling is correct and it isn't until year three, we have an opportunity if he gets passed by Nurse and/or Benning within two years to ship him anywhere provided its before July 1st, 2019.

Also the smaller amount in Year 4 makes a buyout more palatable if necessary at the time.

 

[ResilientBeast]

The are so many D available this year and we have legit assets to offer (Nurse/Puljujarvi/picks). Really disappointed that Chia couldn't find an upgrade.

We really need those young cost controllable assets once both Drai and McDavid's contracts kick in

 

[aki]

I would venture to say the mains are more rational than HFOil this last week. Unreadable garbage some of this
How is Russell bad? Guy was steady all season and playoffs. Of course he's not perfect but he's miles ahead of Ference in every category but "leadership" and so called toughness when he signed here. Who else was available at 4x4?
And the Chia hate is amazing. Almost like we forgot where we were a month ago. The guy seems to know what he's doing if you ask me. The Tambo and MacT ptsd around here is insanity!

This and this. The uproar over Chia trading an overpaid floater who had zero (0) goals in the playoffs for a younger, cheaper guy with potential and signing a solid D-man for $900K more than we paid him last season is truly astonishing. Reminds me a lot of Hall for Larsson last year. Completely ridiculous.

 

[guymez]

I just find the BS of these boards entertaining at times, even when I'm part of the source!

It is entertaing more often than not....I will give you that.

 

[PaPaDee]

In spite of Russell.

Also...this team was supposed improve next season and take the next step. Tough to do that when you dont actually improve the defence.

Our D could very easily improve from within. Klefbom, Larsson, Benning and Nurse are all young and still growing their games.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Where's that "fire Chia" thread from last year that Aceboogie made after the Hall trade? people need to be posting on there lol

 

[King1s]

And there goes the capspace I was happy to see. Facepalm.