Russo, 25, was originally signed as a free agent by the Red Wings on Aug. 16, 2015. In his three seasons with the organization, he appeared in 19 NHL games with the Red Wings and totaled 204 games for the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, registering 103 points (21-82-103), a plus-61 rating and 160 penalty minutes. He led the AHL in plus-minus as a rookie in 2015-16 en route to capturing a spot on the All-Rookie Team and Second All-Star Team before going on to skate in the All-Star Game and help the Griffins win their second Calder Cup championship in five seasons during the 2016-17 campaign. Prior to turning professional, the Westmont, Ill., native logged 94 points (28-66-94), a plus-18 rating and 82 penalty minutes at the University of Notre Dame from 2011-15, winning a CCHA championship in 2013 and capping off his collegiate career as a Hockey East First-Team All-Star in 2015.
After selecting 10 players at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft at the American Airlines Center in Dallas this weekend, the Red Wings now hold up to 11 picks at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, owning their own selection in each round in addition to the NY Islanders' second-round pick (via Vegas), Buffalo's fifth-round pick, Columbus' fifth-round pick and the conditional seventh-round choice from Arizona.
