According to the Detroit Red Wings, they have agreed to terms with free-agent center Vladislav Namestnikov on a two-year contract, worth a reported $2 million AAV.
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Namestnikov, 27, was originally drafted in the first round (27th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lighting and spent parts of five seasons with the team from 2013-18. The 6-foot, 183-pound forward has totaled 425 NHL games between the Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche, registering 189 points (83-106-189) and 227 penalty minutes. Namestnikov played for three teams in 2019-20, appearing in two games with the Rangers prior to a trade to Ottawa, where he tallied 25 points (13-12-25) in 54 games before he was moved to Colorado at the trade deadline. With the Avalanche, he recorded six points (4-2-6) in nine regular-season games and added five points (4-1-5) in 12 playoff games. Namestnikov is two years removed from his most productive NHL campaign, when he picked up 48 points (22-26-48) in 81 games between the Lightning and Rangers in 2017-18. He also skated in 134 American Hockey League games with the Syracuse Crunch, recording 104 points (40-64-104) and 84 penalty minutes and making the 2015 AHL All-Star Game.
Born in Zhukovskiy, Russia, Namestnikov spent part of his childhood in Michigan and has multiple family members with NHL connections, including his father, Evgeny Namestnikov, who played 43 NHL games with Vancouver, NY Islanders and Nashville between 1993-00, and his uncle, Vyacheslav Kozlov, a member of the Russian Five who played for Detroit from 1992-01 and totaled 1,182 NHL games until 2009-10. Prior to turning professional, Namestnikov racked up 139 points (52-87-139), a plus-27 rating and 99 penalty minutes in 131 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights, winning an OHL championship in 2012. On the international stage, Namestnikov has represented Russia at multiple international tournaments, most notably winning a bronze medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship after picking up six points (3-3-6) in 10 games.
UPDATE: The #RedWings today agreed to terms with center Vladislav Namestnikov on a two-year contract.
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— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 11, 2020
