Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashasx
For a lot of people, Russell fails the eye test just as much as the analytics test.
|
Agree
He does a lot of good in his own zone in terms of using his stick to break up plays, and blocks a lot of shots but IMO it masks his limitations.
Really poor in the corners and behind his own net, bad at controlling zone entries, does a bad job of blocking out, and makes poor decisions with the puck. It's these issues that lead him to be in his own zone all the time.
The fact that the guy is such a heart and soul player covers up a lot of the warts but the warts are still there.
Then it's magnified because this team is so soft and small overall (FWDs and Dman) that he doesn't get any protection for his weaknesses. I feel that Russell on L.A or Winnipeg with bigger guys surrounding him would look much better.