Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Completely disagree. The guy has proven himself one of our top 3 defencemen. When he's bottom pairing on this team we'll have a very, very good defense.
IMO Russell has outshined Wideman. Russell is the 3rd most important defenceman for us to keep IMO.
You're underrating how good he's been. Nothing bottom pairing about his play this year, he's been as good as Brodie and is still fairly young.
Trading one of our top 3 defenceman for a 3rd would be going full Oiler style.
|
Hmm, there might be confusion on what I meant.
He's clearly more than a bottom pairing guy for Calgary, and he's a top 3 defender for Calgary in terms of his defense, but that says more about the situation the Flames are in than it does about his abilities. If Kris Russell is one of your top 4 guys, you are going to be leaking goals and chances. I don't think his offense is better than Wideman, Giordano or Brodie, which puts him as Calgary's 4th best defender at this point. He's also the smallest of that group which is already smallish in it's own right.
He provides the same thing the other three guys do offensively but to a less substantial degree and while he has shown a lot for Calgary this year, he's not tremendous defensively either. Thinks the game well but lacks physical attributes that would make him more reliable.
Is he more than a bottom pairing guy for a top 15 or top 10 team in the league? Not in any more than spot duty in my opinion, which is how Calgary was able to land him for what's looking like a relative bargain right now. I also don't think he really makes much of a difference to the offensive or defensive prowess of the team, he's just a better option than Butler.
It would be a mistake not to explore the trade potential of Russell, if moving him turns a 5th into a 3rd, I think you take that deal and suggest to Russell and his agent that you look forward to talking with them in the offseason.