Columbus Blue Jackets, Ryan Russell agree on one-year, two-way contract -NHL Update
Columbus Blue Jackets kept rookie forward, Ryan Russell, associated with their National Hockey League (NHL) franchise after signing the left winger to a one-year, two-way contract on Thursday, May 24, 2012.
The contract being a two-way one in nature, could have him playing full time in either the NHL or even the American Hockey League (AHL) or a mixture of appearances in both with variations in salary.
Financial terms and conditions were not released by the organisation, but according to sources, the one-year deal is believed to carry a boost in terms of salary for the player with $700,000 annually if he plays in the major league and $105,000 for performance
in the minors.
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager, Scott Howson, made the announcement.
"He's a guy who really paid his dues, and when he got a chance to contribute at the NHL level he made the most of it," GM Scott Howson said. "What really stood out was his willingness to block shots, and that became contagious among our group."
Ryan Russell was picked up by the New York Rangers as the 211th overall pick during round-seven on the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The Caroline, Alberta, Canada native, appeared in the major league for the first time last season with Columbus and played
in a total of 41 games and registered two goals along with two minutes in penalty time.
He spent the past three straight seasons before making an NHL debut with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL in which he averages 30 plus points each season and has gone up to even 20 goals in one.
Russell provided Columbus Blue Jackets with immense defensive depth despite being a forward position player as he blocked the second highest number of shots on the team with 44, behind R.J Umberger, who had 70.
For Columbus, Ryan Russell is one of those players that will take time to develop and come out with his true potential, which is why the franchise is looking to give him some major league exposure while working on his game in the minors.
Ryan also has a twin brother, Kris Russell, who was also a player on the Blue Jackets squad.
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