Edmonton Oilers' Defenceman On The Verge of NHL History

In hockey, there are flashy stats like goals, points, save percentage, and wins, and there are the less flashy stats. Things like faceoffs won, shots taken, and shots blocked. That final one is probably the toughest to accomplish, lots of guys are injured blocking a shot every year, and yet players still go down in front of a Shea Weber wind-up because they know it helps their team win.

It makes it all the more impressive that Edmonton Oilers' defenceman Kris Russell, once drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as an offensive blueliner, has molded his entire NHL game around blocking shots. While no one would mistake Russell for an elite defence option, what he excels at is a skill that many NHLers shy away from unless absolutely necessary. Tonight, Russell may go down in NHL history because of his unique style of play.

Currently, Kris Russell sits one place behind Brent Seabrook for the most shots blocked in NHL history. Russell's 1,997 is just one shy of Seabrook's 1,998, but Russell has accomplished it in 225 fewer NHL games. He will very likely become the all-time leader in NHL history tonight when the Oilers take on the Vegas Golden Knights. It's the crowning achievement of a career that has seen Russell score 46 goals and 269 points in 889 games, and at 34-years old, he still has plenty of tread left on the tires. Congrats on an impressive achievement, Rusty!

Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports