The Edmonton Oilers are working late on a Friday night.
The club is nearing a deal with free-agent defenseman Kris Russell, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman reports Russell is expected to sign a one-year, $3.1-million contract that may not be announced until Saturday, and ESPN's Pierre LeBrun adds that the two sides are finalizing a deal with those parameters.
The original report came moments after the Oilers traded former first overall pick Nail Yakupov to the St. Louis Blues.
Four teams, including the Calgary Flames, were reportedly in the mix to sign Russell as of Thursday night.
Russell was traded by the Flames to the Dallas Stars before last season's trade deadline. He posted 19 points in 62 games between the two clubs, appearing in 11 contests with Dallas following the deal.
The 29-year-old spent parts of three seasons with Calgary after playing two years with the Blues and five campaigns with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who made him a third-round pick in 2005.
