Quote:
Originally Posted by howard_the_duck
Kris Russell continues to amaze me. So many times he gets a stick on a cross crease pass, or bats a puck out of the air quietly that negates a scoring chance, and barely gets noticed but he's absolutely in control of the game. Brodie is much more flashy and has grown his game immensely, but IMO Russell has been the best Flame this series. Him and Wideman are the Flames' heartbeat right now.
That trade by Feaster is beginning to look Kipper-esque. What a steal it's turned out to be.
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At this point I wouldn't be at all surprised if Russell's career took a "Giordano-like" trajectory.
That is, he goes from being a late-twenties, solid top 4, two way defenseman to a top pairing stud, putting up 50+ points all while remaining defensively responsible against other teams top players.
He's very much like Gio, just a bit smaller (although he's very strong for his size).
He's got quick acceleration, very shifty, especially with the puck. Moves it well either with a great first pass or by skating it up ice. Most importantly, he is unbelievably smart out there, and makes great decisions on both sides of the puck.
He also exhibits the quieter but strong leadership traits that Giordano has.