The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Patrick Russell to a one-year contract extension.
Russell, 27, appeared in 45 games with the Oilers last season, posting five assists, 12 penalty minutes and a minus-11 plus-minus rating.
“I’m obviously happy about it,” Russell said Monday on a video call from Copenhagen, Denmark.
“I knew I wanted to try to come back and when they wanted me back, it was just about signing a contract. So I’m really happy about it and excited to be back next season.”
The six-foot-one, 202-pound winger has appeared in 51 career games with the Oilers. He has 84 points (40 goals, 44 assists), 102 penalty minutes and a plus-21 minus rating in 187 games with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors.
Russell has also played internationally with the Danish National Program, appearing in three world championships, two world junior championships and two world under-18 championships.
After leaving the NHL playoffs bubble in Edmonton earlier this month, Russell returned home where he said he caught up with family and friends. He took a bit of time off before beginning his training ahead of next season.
“I think I took some good steps in the right direction but I also think I can improve a lot and create more offensively and create some more momentum for the team. I think I’ve shown in the past in Bakersfield that every year I kind of got better and better as time went on,” he said.
“I believe I can take a couple steps during the summer here and prepare for next year and come back even stronger.”
A native of Holte, Denmark, Russell was originally signed by the Oilers on May 9, 2016 as a college free agent.
With files from Global News.