Robbie Russo

October 2020- Russo did his job well for the two years he spent in the Coyotes organization. He provided the team with a depth option if injuries hit and was a veteran leader and pretty solid player for Tucson in the AHL. With several young defenseman coming up in the organization now, the Coyotes decided to move on and not offer Russo a new contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Keith Duggan

August 2019- The Coyotes have re-signed Russo to a one-year, two-way contract. He was briefly recalled to Arizona last season when the Coyotes blueline was hit by the injury bug. Russo never suited up for a game with the big club though, serving his purpose as a depth player for Arizona and providing a veteran leader for the AHL squad. Russo racked up six goals and 39 points with Tucson, good for seventeenth among AHL defensemen. Keith Duggan

June 2018- The Coyotes acquired Russo from Detroit in exchange for a 2019 conditional seventh round draft choice. The mobile defenseman put together a solid season last year, putting up nine goals and 32 points along with 81 penalty minutes in 75 games with Grand Rapids. With a plenty of experience under his belt (204 AHL and 19 NHL games), Russo could make a run at a depth, seventh defenseman role with the Coyotes in 2018-19 but most likely spends the year with Tucson in a veteran leadership role. Keith Duggan

February 2018 – After signing a two-year deal with the Red Wings, Russo continues to toil away for Grand Rapids as a top two offensive defenseman at the AHL level. If a spot opens up on the big club either due to injury or trade, Russo stands a high chance of getting the call. Russo is a puck moving offensive defenceman who can run a power play at the AHL level. The question is whether this will translate to the NHL if he gets the chance, but the potential is there. Russo remains a middle-pairing NHL prospect with offensive upside. Mark Hillier

August 2017 – Calm, smooth skating defender who made his NHL debut last season with the Red Wings when Ryan Sproul’s season ended early due to an ACL injury. In 19 games with the big club the right handed defenseman failed to register a point and wasn’t able to make much of an impact. Russo then returned to Grand Rapids where he later won the Calder Cup. His role with the Griffins has continued to grow and he has become one of the leaders on their back end. In his second season with Grand Rapids last year Russo matched his rookie season ppg of 0.55 but was unable to improve on that production. He has tallied 71 points in 129 regular season games in his first two seasons in the AHL. The Red Wings still have not signed Russo, partially due to salary cap concerns, but if/when they do he should be an early call up if injuries occur and will likely challenge for a roster spot in the not-so-far future. Jameson Ewasiuk

August 2016 – The new kid on the block in Grand Rapids is pushing his way to the top of the pack of Red Wings’ defensive prospects. Finishing with five goals, 39 assists in his rookie season with the Griffins, as well as a league-leading plus-40 rating, Russo is the new offensive dynamo in the farm system and one of the best puck-movers from the back end. Another top-end product of the United States National Development program, the right-shot D-man has shown constant improvement since he left the USHL and embarked on his journey through college hockey. In 142 games with Notre Dame, Russo racked up 92 points over his four seasons there and captured a conference championship in his sophomore year. Tremendously skilled at driving the play up ice, Russo isn’t afraid to jump deep into the offensive zone and create pressure on opposing defensemen.

The jump to the American Hockey League from NCAA hasn’t intimidated the 23-year-old at all, as he’s kept his mean streak and physical game up playing at the next level. Absolutely lethal from the point when he uses a combination of expert vision and patience to put the puck on net and create scoring chances, it’s not a surprise the former Notre Dame captain has quickly jumped up the Griffins’ depth chart. A valuable asset on the power play, Russo should see his ice time on the man advantage increase this year and will surely be a staple on the Griffins’ blueline in the future. Joseph Highgate