Edmonton Oilers Sign Kris Russell to One-Year Deal
After shipping Nail Yakupov to St. Louis, the Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Kris Russell to a one-year contract. He will report to the Oilers immediately.
The former Stars defenseman has 177 points (38 G, 139 A) in 573 NHL games. He also has 16 points in 36 postseason appearances and strong defensive statistics. Last season, Russell was second in the league with 210 blocked shots and led the league two years ago in blocks with 283. While shot blocking is his best quality, he has other skills that make him a great overall defender.
“Is a tremendous shot-blocking defenseman, which is his best attribute. Plays with confidence with the puck. Also owns enough offensive acumen to play on the power play and moves the puck with aplomb. Has great wheels.” – The Hockey News
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Though his puck possession metrics and relative Corsi have declined over the years with age, Russell proves to be a solid defender. Not only can the 29-year-old blueliner be an asset on the penalty kill, his puck-moving ability can be an asset on the power-play.
What he will have to work on, however, is remaining consistent. Russell is also only 5-foot-10, 179 pounds, so it will take a lot for him to truly match up with some of the bigger guys in the NHL.
In the end, this is a solid signing for the Oilers. He doesn’t cost too much money; however, I am not sure where the Oilers will deploy him. Eric Gryba and Matt Benning are both vying for the last spot on the Oilers’ right side, but the team still has a plethora of defenders on the left side. With Russell being a left-hand shot, it’s hard to imagine him stacking up better than Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera, Brandon Davidson or even Darnell Nurse.
He will likely either play on the right side on his off hand and step in for someone like Mark Fayne, or just be an extra defender in some cases. Either way, the Oilers will find a place for him, and will likely benefit from his services. What does this mean for Gryba and Benning? We’ll find out soon enough.
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