Kris Russell had a long wait as a free agent last summer, finally signing with the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year deal in October.

Russell dressed in the Oilers season opener just five days after signing and went on to score one goal and 13 points in 68 games during the regular season. He tallied four assists in 13 games during the postseason.

The 30-year-old said Friday he hopes to return to Edmonton next season after the Oilers made him a late addition to their 2016-17 lineup.

"They showed faith in me by going out and signing me," Russell said, per the Edmonton Journal. "I love playing here. It's a first class organization. They treat you very well. The group inside is great. I think this team obviously has a bright future. I wish we were still playing, but I think this team grew a lot.

"With the signing and all that stuff, I'll let my agent deal with that," Russell said. "Obviously I'd like to come back but there is a business side to this and you never know what's going to happen."

Russell played the season on a $3.1 million deal. He was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Dallas Stars at the 2016 trade deadline for Jyrki Jokipakka, Brett Pollock, and a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

"(The Oilers) have to make decisions too, the brass here," he said. "But I'm an Oiler and I'm not going to look past that until I'm told otherwise or come July 1 maybe (if something else happens).

"I want to be here. I'm not worried about other teams, I want to be an Oiler. I enjoyed my time here extremely well. The fans and the people, it's a great city to play in."

A veteran of 641 career games, Russell owns 39 goals and 151 assists in his NHL career. The Caroline, AB native was a third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2005.