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

[Del Preston]

Further:



So it's structured to give Russell security for four years while being movable for the team. That's okay. I would have preferred just a two year deal but that's not how things work.

 

[SDig14]

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

We just added less than a million in cap space...

 

[Musashi]

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.

It ain't easy being 5'10 170 lbs defenseman. Not surprised he's had to find his own niche to succeed and be valued in this league.

Funny how much his shot blocking stands out but still gets used against him when there is thousands of variables that go into why that shot is being taken in the first place with 4 other guys on the ice.

 

[McDeepika]

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

The best way to deal with elite but expensive cores is to load up. Then when you run into cap problems, you dump some good players for a bunch of picks/prospects. Wait a couple of years until those prospects are good and you have created a new window.

Chia isn't even giving us a chance to get started.

 

[bone]

We just added less than a million in cap space...

Technically you could argue that we still have added 2.6M in cap space compared to last year. We had to replace Russell regardless, we just replaced Russell with Russell for an addition $900K.

 

[The Nuge]

signing bonus in last year makes it buyout proof

"Awesome"

Why would you even think about buying out a #4 dman who makes 1.5 million? Some capfloor team will be thrilled at the idea of acquiring him

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

We have 2.6 million more in capspace with Russel/Strome than Russel/Eberle made last year. Heck, Russell/Strome only make 500k more than Eberle alone

 

[guymez]

Further:



So it's structured to give Russell security for four years while being movable for the team. That's okay. I would have preferred just a two year deal but that's not how things work.

I agree. The structure of this deal does remove some of the stink.

 

[SPIRIT]

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.

Stuff like this cracks me up. Hey bud! You don't see the game better than McLellan. Do you think he would get ice-time with "terrible gap control" and "bad puck management"? Would the coach and GM have wanted him back?

 

[SK13]

Oh wait, he has a signing bonus in Year 4?

Yeah, no, that contract is worse than I was thinking. They'll either buy him out in 2019 or trade him after free agency in 2020.

 

[guymez]

It ain't easy being 5'10 170 lbs defenseman. Not surprised he's had to find his own niche to succeed and be valued in this league.

Funny how much his shot blocking stands out but still gets used against him when there is thousands of variables that go into why that shot is being taken in the first place with 4 other guys on the ice.

Just watch him play and ask yourself how and why he ends up blocking so many shots. When you really break down his game its easy to see that his poor decision making is a large part of why he ends up having to block so many shots.

LOL...Jack Micheals thinks he gives 18 mistake free minutes a game. The ultimate fan boy strikes again.

 

[SDig14]

I will admit, I did yell at my tv and in the arena for Russell when his gap was not tight. And then 3 seconds later he blocked the shot. I ran out of energy early.

 

[McRobbiezyg]

Oh wait, he has a signing bonus in Year 4?

Yeah, no, that contract is worse than I was thinking. They'll either buy him out in 2019 or trade him after free agency in 2020.

come on, you can do better than that

 

[SDig14]

Oh wait, he has a signing bonus in Year 4?

Yeah, no, that contract is worse than I was thinking. They'll either buy him out in 2019 or trade him after free agency in 2020.

The point of the signing bonus is to be able to trade a 4AAV cap hit before season 4 and have the team trading for him only owing him 1.5 million.

Seems smart to me.

 

[guymez]

Stuff like this cracks me up. Hey bud! You don't see the game better than McLellan. Do you think he would get ice-time with "terrible gap control" and "bad puck management"? Would the coach and GM have wanted him back?

Oh brother.
Yup....coaches and GMs are always above criticism.
Come on man.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

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

...a great shotblocker on the PK...

I like the deal as well. The Oilers really missed him when he was injured.

 

[McRpro]

Stuff like this cracks me up. Hey bud! You don't see the game better than McLellan. Do you think he would get ice-time with "terrible gap control" and "bad puck management"? Would the coach and GM have wanted him back?

On here, yes, there are a bunch of posters who think they know better.

 

[SK13]

come on, you can do better than that

Huh?

I thought the deal escapable after year 2, but the bonus works in such a way that his deal is going to be unattractive to the poor teams that would like high-cap/low-dollar contracts. They aren't going to want to pay that bonus. So he's only really movable after July 1, 2020.

 

[SDig14]

Wouldn't his CF jump quite a bit if he played all year next year on the left side?

 

[SDig14]

Huh?

I thought the deal escapable after year 2, but the bonus works in such a way that his deal is going to be unattractive to the poor teams that would like high-cap/low-dollar contracts. They aren't going to want to pay that bonus. So he's only really movable after July 1, 2020.

Pretty sure it would be the Oilers paying the cash bonus and then trading a 4 million cap hit for only 1.5 million in year 4 salary.

That's my understanding at least. The bonus is included in the salary.

 

[bone]

The point of the signing bonus is to be able to trade a 4AAV cap hit before season 4 and have the team trading for him only owing him 1.5 million.

Seems smart to me.

Yeah, I didn't like the idea at first, but I think this makes sense. Hope his NTC stipulated that Phoenix has to be on his list in 2020.

 

[killercookie]

Awful. Chia is a ****ing idiot.

You're a ****ing Idiot!!

 

[SPIRIT]

Oh brother.
Yup....coaches and GMs are always above criticism.
Yeah...sure bud.

We're talking about Russell. The professionals disagree with your assessment. Are you not a fan of McLellan or Chiarelli, either? How did you live through the past 10 years of "cheering" for this team?

 

[SK13]

The point of the signing bonus is to be able to trade a 4AAV cap hit before season 4 and have the team trading for him only owing him 1.5 million.

Seems smart to me.

I originally read the deal as bonuses in YR1 and YR2, which would make the deal movable ahead of his NTC kicking in.

This is less malleable than that.

 

[PaPaDee]

Huh?

I thought the deal escapable after year 2, but the bonus works in such a way that his deal is going to be unattractive to the poor teams that would like high-cap/low-dollar contracts. They aren't going to want to pay that bonus. So he's only really movable after July 1, 2020.

That's my thoughts. Hopefully teams like Arizona aren't on his modified no-trade clause. Curious how many teams he can choose.

 

[Spawn]

Pretty sure it would be the Oilers paying the cash bonus and then trading a 4 million cap hit for only 1.5 million in year 4 salary.

That's my understanding at least. The bonus is included in the salary.

That's the idea. But Russell is also going to have a modified NTC. And the teams that are in a position to add big cap, but low salary are usually bad teams and unlikely to be on his list.