Quote:
Originally Posted by MBates
I followed his time in Dallas but a number of the games I was only listening on satellite radio as opposed to seeing them.
I think my post was pretty objective and said what I meant. Russell not contributing as much as Dallas clearly hoped he would when they traded for him doesn't change what I said. In fact it meshes with it.
I described him as a player with high potential and high risk of not meeting that potential in any given year. Wouldn't his trade value to Dallas and subsequent time there fully support my description?
Or are you suggesting his games in Dallas prove he is a 'bad' hockey player in spite of the successes of his I listed?
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His games in Dallas are likely a significant factor in why no team has committed to him and while he may be looking at a series for short term contracts in the near future.
He may have been defender of the year in the WHL but so far in the NHL he hasn't found a tremendous amount of success and has spent time with 4 different teams at this point. Dallas had his negotiating rights as well as cap space and the roster spot to sign him but didn't.
Kris Russell definitely stepped it up during the playoff series and stretch drive that year but he was also on the team last year where basically everyone improved when they weren't paired with him. You gotta take the bad with the good and with Russell it's a mixed bag on whether one is going to balance out the other.