Kris Russell was averaging 24:31 in his first nine games with the Stars before getting hurt, so that tells you what coach Lindy Ruff thinks about the scrappy defenseman.

Russell returned to play Thursday after missing seven games with a foot injury, and it was clear Ruff was excited to get him back in the lineup.

"There was a little bit of an adjustment when he first got here, but we really felt that he could be a real key factor in helping solidify that back end," Ruff said before the game against Colorado. "We're looking forward to getting him back in for these two games and getting him up and running, because we think he can be a big part of our success."

Russell was acquired from Calgary Feb. 29 in a trade deadline deal. The Stars sent the Flames defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka, forward prospect Brett Pollock and a conditional second round draft pick to rent Russell for the remainder of the season. Russell showed early that he was going to be a big part of the Stars defense, and said the injury has sort of been a speedbump in the process.

"It's tough," he said. "I wanted to come in and play well, so this hurts. But at the same time, I've tried to work hard and use it to my advantage."

Russell said watching the team for seven games did give him a better view of the team's systems and strategies.

"I think you try to get more familiar with the system, with how the team plays, how they try to execute," Russell said. "I think you can notice things when you see things from sitting up top at a different angle."

Russell played beside Jordie Benn on Thursday, but could return to a pairing with Alex Goligoski. That said, Ruff said the team also could have three right-handed defensemen when Jason Demers is healthy. If they do, the coach said he would probably break up any pairing that had two lefties.

"There's an opportunity to play him in a couple different places," Ruff said. "If you're completely healthy, there's an opportunity here we could have three left and three right, so I think that's definitely an option. Those two played well together and Goligoski played well on the right side. If we have a lineup that has three left and three right, obviously those two guys wouldn't play together."

Twitter: @MikeHeika