Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto29
Forgive me for my ignorance but why all the hate for Russell? He's a good defenceman who blocks a craptonne of shots. Some nights he has more saves than the goaltender so exactly why the hate. I doubt many of you can even explain your hate for this player.
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The argument for those who would like to see the Flames move Russell is:
- His advanced statistics show him to be a far less effective defender than his 'blocked shots' would traditionally indicate
- That his next contract will be wildly inflated due to the lack of comparable defenders hitting the open market and the general lack of competent defending in the NHL right now.
- That because of the addiition of Hamilton and the new contract for Giordano, the flames simply cannot afford to pay him what he will be asking for, even if they wanted to.
- Because of his age and perceived value around the league as well as his pending unrestricted status, he would be a valuable trade chip for a team looking for quality defensive depth to help them push for a cup.
No one is saying Russell is terrible, he's just not as good as some of his numbers might indicate and he's probably more valuable in the long run to the organization by moving him than keeping him.