After enduring a couple of rough seasons, Kris Russell has revitalized his career with Calgary and now he’s getting rewarded for it. The Flames announced that the 26-year-old defenseman has agreed to a two-year, $4.52 million contract extension.
The Flames acquired him from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a fifth round pick in July. He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Russell has been averaging 23:28 minutes per contest and is one of just four Flames’ players to have a plus/minus rating of neutral or better after participating in at least 40 games. He’s also reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time in his career and the first time since 2010-11.
With Russell locked up, Calgary now has five defenseman signed to one-way contracts for the 2014-15 campaign. The team still needs to decide what to do with 27-year-old blueliner Chris Butler, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.