Personally, I do see both sides of the debate, leaning heavily to Steinberg's position, but I just dislike how it ultimately broke down into "I know more than numbers because I know who cares".
Yeah, having players who cares matters. And Kris Russell, he's a guy I would love on this team in a limited role (closer to the kind of sheltered minutes Schlemko gave us last year) But the crux of the issue is that coaching staff refuses to limit his role and I am not paying top 4 defenseman money for a bottom pair defenseman. It has nothing to do with me blaming Russell for this season or the team's overall advanced stats, it has to do with what makes sense short and long term.
You have to be cut-throat in business and no matter how hard Russell plays you have to identify his actual value to your team. Russell doesn't suck at hockey. But his game is not appropriate for a top 4 defenseman and this is confirmed by his underlying numbers. If he wants money greater than his current salary then he is an anchor contract waiting to happen. You cash out now.
Russell is a great guy and probably the most deserving guy on the roster to have an A on his chest. But even captains get traded. Iginla got traded. Ladd got traded yesterday. Giordano's NMC is only partial. That's business and when fans criticise Russell it's not because we would rather watch Judtin Schultz half ass it it's because things have to make sense financially for this team to take that next step. Engelland is another guy who is going to be a victim of that, so deal with it now Peter Loubardias.
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