Edmonton Oilers: Breaking Down Kris Russell’s Analytics

The Edmonton Oilers will be without top-four blueliner Andrej Sekera to start the 2017-18 campaign. While it may be troubling to see Edmonton start its season without one of their best defencemen, they will call on Kris Russell to step up and fill his void.

Russell signed a four-year, $16 million extension with the team earlier this offseason. Not only will he be here for years to form the core of the Oilers’ blue line, but he will likely be the go-to to replace Sekera to start the year.

Though some of his analytics don’t speak in his favor, Russell is a top-four defender who is capable of playing a big role and carrying the top four this season. We break down the numbers and show that his…