After trading Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome on Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers will reportedly hang onto defenceman Kris Russell.
As per the NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek, Russell will in fact remain with the Oilers and sign an extension soon. The 29-year-old blueliner’s deal is expected to be around $4 million AAV for four years, per Ryan Rishaug.
Edmonton Oilers
Russell was a late 2016 offseason signing and joined the team shortly before the season began. He proved to be a versatile option for the Oilers, playing the right and left hand side and being a key member of the top four. Though his analytics told a different story, Russell was effective for Edmonton, blocking a lot of shots and playing a smart game.
With the Eberle-Strome deal, Edmonton cleared up $3.5 million in cap space. With this extra room, Peter Chiarelli has money to extend Russell’s contract. Edmonton is expected to sign Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to extensions after free agency begins. Additionally, they may look to sign more depth free agents this offseason.
The Russell re-signing gives the Oilers a proven, familiar defenceman to fill Andrej Sekera’s void to start the year. Sekera will be out 6-9 months following a playoff injury. With Russell aking this place, Matthew Benning can also step into a top-four role, and Darnell Nurse can also try and prove his worth. Edmonton will likely sign more defence to provide extra support.
Next: Edmonton Oilers Acquire Strome for Eberle
While some are disappointed, considering Russell’s numbers were not too great, the signing makes sense. Russell knows his role and knows the Oilers’ system. He will be able to step up to the plate and sub in for Sekera, and he will put in effort and play a quality game. Plus, there are not many options in the free agent market that beat Russell. Additionally, when it comes to trading, the Oilers would have to give up even more than they have.