Kris Russell

Edmonton Oilers: Kris Russell Gamble Having Early Payoff

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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I grew up playing against Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kris Russell when we were kids. At an early age, you could tell he was going to make a run at the NHL. However, no one was 100% sure if he would make it because of his size.

Fast-forward 20 years, and here’s Russell as one of the most sought-after free agent defencemen in July. There were reports that he could sign for as high as a $6 million AAV while getting a long-term contract, but that never materialized.

Eventually, rumblings began speculating that Russell could join the Oilers on a one-year deal. That soon turned into a reality, and the Oilers inked Russell to a one-year, $3.1 million contract.

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For most in the analytics community, this was a huge gamble for General Manager Peter Chiarelli. Russell had poor statistics and played terribly in the playoffs for the Dallas Stars, so this was a risky play.

Without playing any preseason games, Russell stepped out onto the ice at Rogers Place to prove those naysayers wrong. He slotted in as the second pairing right-handed defender, alongside Andrej Sekera. So far, however,

So far, however, Russell has been one of the most consistent and reliable defencemen on the team. Coming in at 5’10”, 170 pounds he is never going to overpower the opposition, so he has to use his quickness and hockey smarts to win battles.

Russell actually leads the team in +/- with a +4 and has a strong Fenwick % of 51.0. His Corsi is lower at 47.4 but has played well when paired with Andrej Sekera on the top-four. He leads all Oilers defenders with three assists and is third when it comes to average time on ice with 21:23 minutes per game.

Not to mention, Russell is a shot blocking machine and already has 14 blocks which are double the next closest player on the Oilers.

I can’t see him continue to lead the Oilers defence in scoring over 82 games, but if he can continue to chip in with a strong two-way game, it would be a bonus. But so far, he is proving to be a great gamble for Edmonton.