[Rumour] Flames still trying to re-sign Russell

[Demetric]

BT just ship him out already so we can close this thread

[Toonage]

He's being examined under a pretty extreme microscope this season, no doubt. But while he missed several shots on goal yesterday he isn't without the occasional timely one as well (ie: Game 1 vs Vancouver), and was never considered an offensive dynamo to begin with. Criticism can be warranted, just make sure its fair.

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Because you need defencemen. If not Russell then who would be standing at that point?

You think Brad can call up GM X and say hey buddy, I have a guy who I think is struggling, and frankly not very good. I play him in my top 4, but I really want an upgrade because I don't actually think he's a top 4 guy. Can you trade me your better d-man for my not so good d-man? Sure Brad, anything for you buddy.

Or maybe you want to trade him for picks and call someone up. Do you trust Nakladal, Kylington, Wotherspoon, etc to be standing there playing top 4 in the NHL? I would not.

At this point I'd be willing to try any of those AHL guys, or just move Smid up into the top 4.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Because you need defencemen. If not Russell then who would be standing at that point?

You think Brad can call up GM X and say hey buddy, I have a guy who I think is struggling, and frankly not very good. I play him in my top 4, but I really want an upgrade because I don't actually think he's a top 4 guy. Can you trade me your better d-man for my not so good d-man? Sure Brad, anything for you buddy.

Or maybe you want to trade him for picks and call someone up. Do you trust Nakladal, Kylington, Wotherspoon, etc to be standing there playing top 4 in the NHL? I would not.

Presumably defenseman's value are highest at the deadline when contending teams are looking for depth. Given his reasonable contract, he should get the Flames something. IMO you trade him for as many quality draft picks as you can get.

Then at this summer's draft, when draft picks are at their highest value, you look to package some of those picks to acquire a quality player. If you can't do, then make your picks and stock the system with prospects.

As for who replaces him this year, who cares? The team is going nowhere. If they get worse, so be it.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Because you need defencemen. If not Russell then who would be standing at that point?

Well, for starters, there's this guy we traded Laurent Brossoit for. He's only 29 years old and he's sort-of kind-of more proven than Russell in a top 4 role when you look at the career body of work, whereas Russell's claim to fame is one year where nothing ever ever went wrong even when he was on the ice on 75 second shifts where he was bleeding quality chances like an action scene in a Tarantino movie.

Or maybe you want to trade him for picks and call someone up. Do you trust Nakladal, Kylington, Wotherspoon, etc to be standing there playing top 4 in the NHL? I would not.

Do I trust them to what exactly? What does Russell do playing in the top 4 that makes him so irreplacable? Defend really well? He defends... okay...except he defends really often. If we replace him with a player who defends less well but defends less often have we really taken a step back? Is he an offensive dynamo?

I've seen a bit of Nakladal in the AHL and while I'm not ready to declare him a top 4 defensemen, he's no AHL defenseman. He belongs in the NHL in some capacity.

I've seen Kulak play in the NHL, albeit in a sheltered role, and I see tools and a mind to do things Russell simply can't do even in a sheltered role. I am even willing to live with a season of natural mistakes from Kulak if he takes that developmental opportunity and converts it into a Jake Muzzin or Jake Gardiner caliber play. Two guys with reputations as mistake-prone NHLers who, in my opinion are currently two of the most effective players at the position right now.

Kylington? It's crazy talk on paper, yet it's not crazy. Now personally I don't want to burn an ELC year so I'm not an advocate of it, and I didn't even think he was AHL-ready coming into this season so what do I know, but guys with a ceiling like his do often earn these kind of opportunities. Was 19YO Oliver Ekman-Larsson really "that good" his rookie year? I don't know, but Brad Treliving probably does.

Wotherspoon? He hits waiver eligibility next year. I'm not sold on him either, but did we draft him to play in the AHL? I found it interesting that Conroy praised him specifically just a week ago as a defenseman having a good season, considering most of us have written him off.

Culkin? A season ago he was playing top pair in the AHL as a 20 year old and was passing Wotherspoon on the depth charts before his injury. Maybe he transitions as seemlessly from ECHL to NHL as he did from Junior to AHL.

It's such a crapshoot. Even Kris Russell is a crap shoot, we all saw how brutal he was in October.