The Detroit Red Wings have remained busy in free agency, with Russian-born forward Vladislav Namestnikov the latest name to be brought to the Motor City by GM Steve Yzerman.
Prior to free agency, the team made the decision to part ways with veteran forward Justin Abdelkader, who was placed on waivers for the purposes of a compliance buyout of his bloated contract.
And with forward Tyler Bertuzzi opting for salary arbitration, could that open the door to do the same with another bloated contract?
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Forward Frans Nielsen hasn’t lived up to the expectations that came with his massive six year, $31.5 million deal he agreed to in 2016 with former GM Ken Holland. Last year, he tallied only nine points in 60 games.
The Red Wings now have the chance to initiate another buyout, and Nielsen would be the ideal candidate. Here are the numbers behind what a potential buyout would look like:
Red Wings fans, would you like to see Nielsen’s deal bought out?
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Vladislav Namestnikov describes excitement over joining Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings added to their free-agency haul, inking forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract.
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Originally drafted by Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011, Namestnikov already has a prior connection to his new team. His uncle on his mother’s side of the family just so happens to be former Russian Five forward Slava Kozlov, who was a key member of the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup winning squads.
When Yzerman called to offer him a new deal, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Namestnikov said of Yzerman. “He drafted me in Tampa, and definitely helps when you’re familiar with the GM. That came into play when I made my decision and I’m happy it worked out here.”
