GDT: Opening Night: Blues vs. Wings

[Unkki]

3. Russell is a player that plays well beyond his perceived capability. He draws a lot of attention with his skating ability and has the vision to make the pass to the soft area he created. He's obviously no petro, but his ability to rise over pressure is a skill that we would sorely miss.

I ****ing loved this guy when he played for TPS in Finland during the lockout. Great vision and puck skills. Gotta love.

 

[Celtic Note]

I ****ing loved this guy when he played for TPS in Finland during the lockout. Great vision and puck skills. Gotta love.

He has also learned how to effectively use his body against bigger players. Pretty impressive actually. He uses leverage really well, rather than relying on strength.

 

[David Dennison]

Yeah, Russell has been a pretty solid player for us. His offensive skills never really developed, but he was a guy who was rushed to the NHL and has played for Hitchcock for almost his entire career. But he has elite skating ability and is very tough despite his size. He can definitely make a play bringing the puck out of the zone. Limited offensive player though IMO, average-below average passer/vision, weak shot from the point.