Oilers sign Patrick Russell to one-year extension

The Oilers took care of a little business this morning as they signed forward Patrick Russell to a one-year contract extension. Russell has played in 187 AHL games with the Condors since signing with the organization as a free agent back in May of 2016.

After posting a career-best season in Bakersfield, Patrick Russell was rewarded with a one-year contract extension to show management that he can keep building on the improvements he’s been making down on the farm. You guys know how I like a good ‘show-me’ contract. The 6’1″, 205-pound forward played in 51 games for the Bakersfield Condors last season, amassing 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points. Russell spent the bulk of his 2018-19 season with the Bakersfield Condors, but did manage to appear in six games with the Oilers after a mid-November recall, starting with a matchup against the Flames.

Russell has also represented Denmark on the international stage multiple times, most recently at the 2019 World Hockey Championship which was his third consecutive appearance for his country at the annual tournament. Keeping him in the mix provides the Oilers with another right-winger that can score on the depth chart, and gives management a cheap bet on whether or not Russell will be able to build upon the career-best he posted down on the farm this past season. While we don’t know how often we’ll see Russell at the NHL level, it’s a smart signing to make for a team that’s looking to build upon its first playoff appearance at the AHL level.

At the time of posting, Russell’s contract details have not yet been released, but I’ll be sure to jump back in and update this article when the numbers come out. Make sure to keep an eye on PuckPedia’s account too as they’ll have the details when someone dishes the biz.