On a day where Scott Howson wasn’t expected to do much other than tee up for a good cause, the “gunslinger” decided to let loose another volley on Twitter – this time announcing that the team had come to terms on an entry level deal for 2010 2nd rounder Dalton Smith and a new contract for recently acquired RFA forward Ryan Russell.
Smith, a physical forward with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL, has been known for mixing it up, but had a bit of a regression offensively last year, scoring only 12 goals and 17 assists compared to his 21 goal, 44 point season in his draft year.
Smith’s most likely to be headed back to Juniors after training camp this season (he’s only 19), but could easily be in the pipeline for Springfield in 2012-2013.
Russell, on the other hand, will likely be a cornerstone player for the Falcons this season, bringing some AHL veteran experience and scoring ability along with the re-acquired Dane Byers and newcomer Cody Bass. I wouldn’t expect more than a 2 year, 2-way contract, but we could always be surprised.
The team has yet to make an official announcement – once they do, we’ll update this post with any contract information that is released.
Edit: Here we go – no money terms discussed, but it’s a 1 year, 2 way deal for Russell. A good deal that I suspect could easily be turned into another contract if he performs as advertised.