Fast-forward 20 years, and here’s Russell as one of the most sought-after free agent defencemen in July. There were reports that he could sign for as high as a $6 million AAV while getting a long-term contract, but that never materialized.
Eventually, rumblings began speculating that Russell could join the Oilers on a one-year deal. That soon turned into a reality, and the Oilers inked Russell to a one-year, $3.1 million contract.
For most in the analytics community, this was a huge gamble for General Manager Peter Chiarelli. Russell had poor statistics and played terribly in the playoffs for the Dallas Stars, so this was a risky play.