Confirmed with Link: Flames Sign Chris Breen

[Volica]

Wow, big guy. I actually barely ever heard of him though. xD He is already 24 years old... Did anyone watch him a lot in the AHL? Does he have a chance to crack the top 4 some day?

It took him a while to put everything together, that's why you've probably never heard of him.
Unlike kanzig who is known for a mean streak, Calgary snagged Breen when he was just a giant. They worked hard on his skating, and in the past couple seasons worked on becoming a monster.

Unsure about top four potential. Maybe. Has to continue to improve.

 

[The Gnome]

Good for breen! In regards to Russell; if people liked cundari, they will like Russell even more. The blues might have the best defensive depth in The league. Russel may be a 4/5 on the blues but for us, he should be a #4.

 

[Anglesmith]

By the way, I was told that Russell was in the top-4 last season from someone who follows the Blues. The fact that he was pushed out by the acquisition of two players does not directly refute that, because hockey is not a math exercise. With the kind of depth that the Blues have at the defence position, they can afford to ice a roster based on skill and style, rather than a strictly linear depth chart. I have always thought of Bouwmeester and Leopold as offensively-minded, and defensively capable, defencemen, and they play Russell's game better than he does.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

Breen and Kanzig... A fierce D pairing.

 

[MarkGio]

Yeah I would be for Russell. I don't like any of our options as our #4 defensemen, whether its Butler, Cundari, Smith, etc.

 

[Anglesmith]

Yeah I would be for Russell. I don't like any of our options as our #4 defensemen, whether its Butler, Cundari, Smith, etc.

You forgot SOB! Sob...

 

[MarkGio]

You forgot SOB! Sob...

 

[Anglesmith]

A pretty fair simulation of Bob Hartley's job picking the starting pairings in October?

 

[abracanada]

I will say this, when injuries happen and they always do, Breen and Russell might actually make a decent pairing as I believe their games will compliment each other.

I also think Russell is a high character player, he has deficiencies in his game but he has no quit and will be an asset to the youth in that regard. I really think his character is more why he was acquired than his on ice skills.

I think the Flames decided to give him a chance because of this:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/kris_russell/


History

Kris Russell of the Medicine Hat Tigers is just too talented for NHL teams to ignore. At times this year, the Tigers were short on the blueline when Cam Barker was out with mononucleosis and Steve Marr was sidelined by injury, but the pint-sized Russell was able to shoulder the weight and carried the team offensively.

His 61 points this year were enough to place Russell third in the league for defensive scoring just five points back of the top spot held by Mike Green. Aside from his offensive upside, what Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins likes the most about his diminutive blueliner is his fearless ability to battle players much larger than himself. Russell was matched against the opposing top lines for much of the year and had to defend players like Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Ladd, and did so extremely well.

In the WHL playoffs, a head injury suffered against the Red Deer Rebels limited his effectiveness but any who saw Russell during the regular season came away knowing they saw someone special. Russell represented Canada at the U18 Junior World Cup in August of 2004 and at the 2006 WJC.

If he is able to recapture some of this, he would be well worth a fourth rounder.

 

[Lunatik]

I think the Flames decided to give him a chance because of this:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/kris_russell/


History

Kris Russell of the Medicine Hat Tigers is just too talented for NHL teams to ignore. At times this year, the Tigers were short on the blueline when Cam Barker was out with mononucleosis and Steve Marr was sidelined by injury, but the pint-sized Russell was able to shoulder the weight and carried the team offensively.

His 61 points this year were enough to place Russell third in the league for defensive scoring just five points back of the top spot held by Mike Green. Aside from his offensive upside, what Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins likes the most about his diminutive blueliner is his fearless ability to battle players much larger than himself. Russell was matched against the opposing top lines for much of the year and had to defend players like Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Ladd, and did so extremely well.

In the WHL playoffs, a head injury suffered against the Red Deer Rebels limited his effectiveness but any who saw Russell during the regular season came away knowing they saw someone special. Russell represented Canada at the U18 Junior World Cup in August of 2004 and at the 2006 WJC.

If he is able to recapture some of this, he would be well worth a fourth rounder.

He has shown zero flashes of this in the NHL, you can't hang your hat on something done 7 years ago. If we were going to do that I guess we should bring back Matt Keetley too who was also amazing for that Tiger team.

 

[abracanada]

He may never recover that type of game, but I am not going to write him off before he starts either.

 

[Lunatik]

He may never recover that type of game, but I am not going to write him off before he starts either.

I wasn't aware that 6 years of mediocre play was "before he starts" maybe we could sign Cam Barker too! Get the whole gang back together!

That Medicine Hat team was a result of great coaching and a group of good junior players that peaked too early.

 

[MonahanTheMan]

Got to admit that I see little potential at all from Russell, either offensive or defensive. My guess is he'll be here for a year or two while our stay-at-homes spend time in the AHL getting ready for the big leagues.

 

[abracanada]

I wasn't aware that 6 years of mediocre play was "before he starts" maybe we could sign Cam Barker too! Get the whole gang back together!

That Medicine Hat team was a result of great coaching and a group of good junior players that peaked too early.

It can take a defender a long time to develop, especially when they are not a good fit for a team. It took Johnny Boychuk about that long.

I am willing to wait and see how he turns out.

 

[MarkGio]

Wasn't Giordano another one who took a while. He has to spend some time in the KHL before he broke out

 

[tyflames]

Wasn't Giordano another one who took a while. He has to spend some time in the KHL before he broke out

He was signed from Junior A if I remember correctly though. Sutter seen him while attending a game. That's a big jump for him though it isn't surprising it took him that long. A lot of people were not overly upset when he left for Russia but when he came back he looked like a whole new player.

 

[Lunatik]

Wasn't Giordano another one who took a while. He has to spend some time in the KHL before he broke out

To get to the NHL sure. Giordano was undrafted and wasn't an everyday player until he was 25.

Giordano also only played 55 games before going to Russia and when he returned he was better than Russell. Also Russell might be 3 years younger than Giordano but he has only played 20 fewer games.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Wasn't Giordano another one who took a while. He has to spend some time in the KHL before he broke out

True, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Russel finds his game and becomes effective in the NHL but as it stands I just don't see where a defensively poor defenseman fits in our bottom 3 (5-7) defesenmen. I think SOB, Breen, and Cundari's physical style are needed and with a youth movement going I think Breen and Cundari are given chances to show what they have in the NHL. Maybe we make a deal between now and the start of the season and move Butler but I doubt it.

 

[Lunatik]

True, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Russel finds his game and becomes effective in the NHL but as it stands I just don't see where a defensively poor defenseman fits in our bottom 3 (5-7) defesenmen. I think SOB, Breen, and Cundari's physical style are needed and with a youth movement going I think Breen and Cundari are given chances to show what they have in the NHL. Maybe we make a deal between now and the start of the season and move Butler but I doubt it.

Smith to the minors, run with 8 defensemen, haven't we done that the last 2 seasons?

 

[TheHudlinator]

Smith to the minors, run with 8 defensemen, haven't we done that the last 2 seasons?

The problem is every where you look we seem to have too many players for each spot we could run with 14 forwards or 8 defenseman or even 3 goalies right now it is all up in the air. Last year we had 8 defenseman but only because Anton was hurt most of the year so we were carrying him on the roster as well.

 

[Lunatik]

The problem is every where you look we seem to have too many players for each spot we could run with 14 forwards or 8 defenseman or even 3 goalies right now it is all up in the air. Last year we had 8 defenseman but only because Anton was hurt most of the year so we were carrying him on the roster as well.

Anton was benched most of the year, we only missed 11 games due to injury, he missed 30 because he is bad at hockey. But you also proved my point about 8 defensemen, there are always injuries, especially in an 82 game season with a condensed schedule.

 

[tmurfin]

I think Russell's going to be turning some heads. He's a good dman when used right, and definitely slides right in around 4-5 on our depth chart. But hey, what the hell, let's write his season off and give Breen or Cundari the job just because.. If they earn it, great! But let's let them.

 

[Lunatik]

I think Russell's going to be turning some heads. He's a good dman when used right, and definitely slides right in around 4-5 on our depth chart. But hey, what the hell, let's write his season off and give Breen or Cundari the job just because.. If they earn it, great! But let's let them.

I don't think anyone suggested giving Breen or Cundari the job without earning it.

 

[abracanada]

I think Russell's going to be turning some heads. He's a good dman when used right, and definitely slides right in around 4-5 on our depth chart. But hey, what the hell, let's write his season off and give Breen or Cundari the job just because.. If they earn it, great! But let's let them.

Besides, Russell has competed with Cundari in the past and St. Louis management must have felt he was more able. I agree regarding competition. Let them battle it out and have the chips fall where they may.

 

[saillias]

I wasn't aware that 6 years of mediocre play was "before he starts" maybe we could sign Cam Barker too! Get the whole gang back together!

That Medicine Hat team was a result of great coaching and a group of good junior players that peaked too early.

Haha I was going to mention the Cam Barker analogy as well.

Not interested in this guy's potential. Russell has "potential" like Rico Fata has "potential."