Quote:
Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan
Just to be clear: you can love and respect the person and be critical of his skills as a hockey player. These things are mutually exclusive.
|
Exactly. I really love Russell, and Calgary doesn't operate like the Oilers in giving just anyone a letter. Russell did a heck of a lot of things right and earned it.
I don't even mind Russell on the ice. He leaves it all out there on every shift, just like a young Andrew Ference. Size still matters for D, and though I would welcome Russell back in a heartbeat on a contract that works for a bottom-pairing role, I am glad that the Flames didn't pay that much for him. Pair him with someone like Engelland, and I bet Russell would have been extremely effective when he doesn't have to match up against some of the big and talented forwards.
My one and only gripe about his game is that he just becomes ineffective in the corners and along the boards (and in front of the net to a point) against the big forwards. He has IQ up the ying-yang, has a fantastic stick, makes a great pass and skates well with the puck. Oilers did get better. Everyone is kidding themselves if the Flames would rather face Russell over Fayne - or really any other Oilers' D with maybe the exception of Larsson and Klefbom (and even then it is debatable, at least until those two gain more experience and definitively pull ahead of Russell, which will probably happen). Russell doesn't make the same idiotic turnovers like Nurse does (I used to think the Flames would hate to play against Nurse, but this kid doesn't seem to have much in the way of IQ or composure of any kind), Davidson (seriously?) and I do think defensively he is better than Sekera.
Oilers did get better, though they are far from having a legitimately respectful defensive core. Simply pushing Fayne out of the lineup makes it more difficult on other teams.
I actually hope he does well and uses this year to leapfrog himself somewhere else where I don't have to cheer against him (or possibly start hating him).
