KRIS RUSSELL - Defenseman - 32 - $4.00MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2021-2022
LAST UPDATED 8/6/19
The NHL's shot blocking king since his monster 283 blocked shots campaign in 2014-2015, Kris Russell is the poster child for the misunderstood value of shot blocking. I'm not going to tell you that Kris Russell is this defensive liability because his shot blocking comes at the expense of sound defensive positioning, because that's not the case entirely. Russell's isolated impact metrics are actually decent and measure him as a strong defender, especially in front of the net. So his ability to block shots is an asset, most of the time. The issue is that his incredibly high volume of blocked shots does not mean he's this high-end defensive defenseman that stat-watchers may have thought he was years ago. Russell is a fine defensive defenseman who lacks the skating ability and puck skills to be anything but an offensive liability. He can kill penalties with league average efficiency and play decent enough minutes in a crease-clearing role, but he won't be this shut down, massive minute eating juggernaut that some of his numbers would suggest. He's a fine defensive defenseman for a bottom pairing, but expecting more would be a mistake, and with a $4MM AAV contract with some term left, he's decently overpaid. Still a fine defensive #5, though, even if he's overpaid.
The NHL's shot blocking king since his monster 283 blocked shots campaign in 2014-2015, Kris Russell is the poster child for the misunderstood value of shot blocking. I'm not going to tell you that Kris Russell is this defensive liability because his shot blocking comes at the expense of sound defensive positioning, because that's not the case entirely. Russell's isolated impact metrics are actually decent and measure him as a strong defender, especially in front of the net. So his ability to block shots is an asset, most of the time. The issue is that his incredibly high volume of blocked shots does not mean he's this high-end defensive defenseman that stat-watchers may have thought he was years ago. Russell is a fine defensive defenseman who lacks the skating ability and puck skills to be anything but an offensive liability. He can kill penalties with league average efficiency and play decent enough minutes in a crease-clearing role, but he won't be this shut down, massive minute eating juggernaut that some of his numbers would suggest. He's a fine defensive defenseman for a bottom pairing, but expecting more would be a mistake, and with a $4MM AAV contract with some term left, he's decently overpaid. Still a fine defensive #5, though, even if he's overpaid.
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