Blue Jackets Sign Kris Russell to Extension

[VodkaFish]

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Kris Russell to a three-year contract extension, General Manager Scott Howson announced today.

Russell, 22, has registered four goals and 28 assists for 32 points and 42 penalty minutes in 137 career games with the Blue Jackets. He notched 2-19-21 and 28 penalty minutes in 66 games with Columbus last season. His point total ranked third among club defensemen and nearly doubled the output of his rookie season in 2008-09 when he collected 2-8-10 and 14 penalty minutes in 67 games.

“Kris is an important player for us, not only in the present, but in the future,” said Howson. “We believe he has just scratched the surface of his potential.”

Prior to his professional career, the Caroline, Alberta native tallied 76-120-196, 142 penalty minutes and a cumulative plus/minus rating of +50 in 241 career games with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. He was a back-to-back winner of the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s defenseman of the year in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and won the Four Broncos Trophy as the WHL Player of the Year leading the Tigers to the WHL championship in 2006-07.

The club’s third pick, 67th overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft has represented Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. He collected 1-3-4, four penalty minutes and was +6 in six games at the 2006 tournament and added 4-2-6 and was +3 in six games in 2007, helping Canada win the gold medal in both tournaments.

[ShelleyFan45]

Wow. Kind of surprising since he doesn't fit the mold as a Ken Hitchcock type defenseman. Hitch loves big physical dmen, and Russ is small and not physical at all.

[TheJoker]

Good move I'd say. Russell is a SLICK d-man, just a little on the small side. He can skate like the wind and sees the ice great. CHL defenseman of the year and probably the Canadian Junior teams best d-man when he played.

[chilly666]

yeah but that hasn't translated to the nhl. a lot of guys can be great and suck in the nhl and he is one of them. he was suppose to be the great pp man of the future and yet, hasn't done squat. just better hope it isn't worth more than $1 per season cause that is about all he is worth.

[TheJoker]

Originally Posted by chilly666

yeah but that hasn't translated to the nhl. a lot of guys can be great and suck in the nhl and he is one of them. he was suppose to be the great pp man of the future and yet, hasn't done squat. just better hope it isn't worth more than $1 per season cause that is about all he is worth.

Jeez, a little early in his career to make a statement like that. I wouldn't exactly say he is sucking in the NHL. Give him some time, I'm not saying that he's gonna be a star but give him some time.

[chilly666]

but he was handed the reigns as a rookie and flopped, his second year he couldn't stay up the whole year cause he was underperforming. but if the extension is for more than one year the jackets are dumb. giving him stability isn't gonna help him get better.

the fact that it is for 3 years, is beyond utter stupidity in my opinion.

[CBJ10]

I think it's a good move.

[AVALANCHE FAN]

Originally Posted by chilly666

but he was handed the reigns as a rookie and flopped, his second year he couldn't stay up the whole year cause he was underperforming. but if the extension is for more than one year the jackets are dumb. giving him stability isn't gonna help him get better.

the fact that it is for 3 years, is beyond utter stupidity in my opinion.

I must have missed Cam Barker making rookie of the year and outscoring all D men would you mind pointing out to me exactly when that happened?

Oh thats right it never happened and they talked the kid up like he was the second coming,You know why it didnt happen? Because it takes defensemen longer to develop!

[chilly666]

yeah but guess what cam barker is actually fulfilling his promise currently while russell has been removed and is an after thought now for running the columbus pp. you wanna complare those two? go ahead, but barker has done a lot more to earn a three-year deal than russell has. he was given the reigns and failed, barker wasn't handed the keys to the ferrari. he was given chances, but not put in spots where he could ultimately fail like russell has. hell luke schenn and drew doughty did more last season than russell has in how many ever years he has been a pro. all three were built up just as much as the next was.