The most polarizing player on the Edmonton Oilers’ roster has agreed to a new contract with the team. Multiple reports have Kris Russell signing a four year contract with the club worth $4 million per season.
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug is reporting there will be a modified NTC in the deal as well. Rishaug also reports that the deal is front loaded, which should make it easier for the Oilers to move the player should that be necessary in the final half of the deal.
My thoughts on re-signing Russell have been well documented, but I’ll still give my .02 cents on the move. I think Russell is a better defender than a lot of people give him credit for. He’s more than a replacement level player and he can be a serviceable part of a successful defensive group, I truly believe that.
That all said, I don’t think Russell is even close to being an impact defender, and I don’t think he’s a guy that can anchor down a pairing and lead the way. I thought Russell benefitted greatly from playing with Andrej Sekera last season, and I thought he got bailed out by Cam Talbot on a number of occasions.
Kris Russell is an NHL defender, but personally I think he is more of a third pairing option than a true top-four guy in the league. For that reason alone, I think the Oilers overpaid greatly both in terms of years committed and salary. I’m fine with Russell being back on this team next season, but only at a certain price point. This, in my opinion, is over that price point.
My biggest concern with this signing? There is no real room for improvement on the blue-line this off-season. The Oilers already had Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Matt Benning and Darnell Nurse returning before this move. With Russell back in the fold, Edmonton will end up having the same six defenders as one season ago once Sekera returns from injury.
For a team that needs improvement on defense to compete with the Anaheims and Nashvilles of the west, this is a pretty tough pill to swallow. Barring a surprise turn of events, the Oilers will be gambling on simple develop for their improvement this season. That’s a risky bet for a team that should be competing for the Stanley Cup this coming season.
Personally, I’m not a fan of this contract and I think it will hurt Edmonton’s ability to improve over the course of the next few summers. That said, Todd McLellan clearly trusts this player and that has value. He’ll be back in Edmonton’s top-four this coming season and will play a big role for this club yet again.
I don’t like the bet or the contract, but here we are. Here’s to hoping the Oilers got this right, because this team could be in trouble if Russell doesn’t hold down the fort.
The latest look at the defense gives us something like this come opening night. Remember, Sekera will start on LTIR.
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Kris Russell – TBD
Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning
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