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Vladislav Namestnikov

Avalanche Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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Colorado has added some offensive depth as they have acquired winger Vladislav Namestnikov from Ottawa, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch adds (via Twitter) that the Senators receive a 2021 fourth-round pick in return.

The 27-year-old acquired Namestnikov back in early October from the Rangers in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round pick and AHL defenseman Nick Ebert so the Sens basically recovered back what they gave up for him in the first place.

The change of scenery certainly worked for the winger.  After being bumped down the depth chart in New York, Namestnikov played a bigger role in Ottawa and had some success, recording 13 goals and 12 assists in 54 games while logging over 15 minutes per game.  He’ll likely get a chance to play a similar role with the Avalanche for the time being with Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Colin Wilson, and Matt Calvert all currently injured.

Namestnikov is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and carries a $4MM cap hit.  However, New York retained $750K of that in October so the Avs will only be on the hook for a pro-rated $3.25MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Barrie, Simmonds, Senators, Canadiens

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After years of mediocrity, the NHL’s Canadian teams have come to play in 2019-20 and are at the forefront of many of the trade deadline’s biggest story lines. However, perhaps the even bigger surprise than the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks being buyers is that the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up as sellers. In a very Canada-centric segment of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Bob McKenzie reports that, following a difficult week, the Leafs have begun to receive calls on pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie, the team’s big off-season addition. McKenzie notes that this could have just as much to do with a suddenly barren defense market as it does with other teams doubting Toronto’s playoff chances, but regardless the team has not closed the door on a possible deal. Barrie has been a poor fit with the Maple Leafs but could benefit a number of other teams down the stretch and in the postseason. The team has seen the high prices that sellers have received so far and could be enticed to make a move of their own. However, McKenzie does note that Toronto is not expected to move Barrie without receiving a defenseman with term in exchange or without a second deal in place to flip picks and prospects for that elusive top-four right-shot defender.

  • The Vancouver Canucks already made a big splash with the acquisition of Tyler Toffoli, but they remain interested in the New Jersey Devils’ Wayne Simmonds as well, a target of theirs since last summer. However, Pierre LeBrun reports that the two sides have not been able to work out the salary cap details in a way that would make the addition work for the strapped Canucks. He suspects that this due to the likelihood that Brock Boeser will return from injury prior to the end of the regular season and the team must account for that cap increase. Seemingly at an impasse, talks are dead for the time being. However, Vancouver could circle back closer to the deadline if Simmonds still has not been dealt and the Devils are willing to be more flexible.
  • Yet again, the Ottawa Senators are one of the primary sellers at the deadline. While their offerings this year pale in comparison to last, they could still turn a nice profit with their current pieces. The insiders note that Vladislav Namestnikov is a healthy scratch tonight (and for the foreseeable future), as the Senators have at least four concrete offers on the table for the versatile forward. Toronto, Winnipeg, Colorado, and Columbus are named as the teams known to have interest, but there are likely more in play. Additionally, value veteran Tyler Ennis could be a nice depth piece for a contender and Edmonton is reportedly the front runner for his services. However, the biggest trade chip in Ottawa is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and the news tonight is that the two sides have actually begun formal extension talks. While the Senators continue to field offers, it is believed that they have set a high asking price and would prefer to re-sign Pageau. LeBrun even wonders if they would risk keeping him past the deadline without a new deal if the camps are close, especially given the departure of homegrown talent at this time last year.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have a suspicious healthy scratch of their own tonight in Artturi Lehkonen, who has remained out of the trade deadline limelight until now. The 24-year-old winger can be streaky, but is on pace for a career high in points this season nonetheless and still has one year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. It remains to be seen if this decision is even related to a possible deal and, if so, whether Lehkonen is for sale by himself or rather part of a bigger deal. Despite the newfound confusion surrounding Lehkonen, the focus in Montreal remains on Ilya Kovalchuk. The veteran scorer is definitely drawing interest, but LeBrun reports that a framework for a one-year, bonus-laden contract extension is also in place if the Habs opt to keep him. Kovalchuk has proven to be a tremendous fit in Montreal and the team may want to hold on to that positive note in an otherwise disappointing season.

Canucks Notes: Trade Target, Markstrom, Sutter

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The Vancouver Canucks are exceeding expectations this season and, after a brief slide, are back to their winning ways with twelve points in their past ten games. The team is currently sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but trail Calgary and Edmonton in the division by just four points with two games in hand, a difference of just .025 in points percentage. Rather than take this surprise success for granted, GM Jim Benning plans to take advantage. Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre on Wednesday, Benning said that he is targeting a top-six scoring winger before the NHL Trade Deadline. He did qualify his comments by adding that the deal must “make sense”, but did not say exactly what that meant. With nine forwards carrying cap hits of  $3MM+ through 2020-21, a trade that makes sense for Vancouver is likely a rental deal. The team is also unlikely to get into the bidding for a star like Taylor Hall if it causes too much of a mortgage on their future in a year where a Stanley Cup run would take a fair amount of luck even with their solid play thus far. Potential targets who would nicely on the wing in Vancouver this season could include Vladislav Namestnikov, Alex Galchenyuk, Tyler Toffoli, or perhaps even Chris Kreider. There is still a lot of time left before the deadline and Vancouver’s play between now and then will dictate just how willing Benning in his to make a big deal.

  • Benning also stated in the interview that he plans to formally open up extension talks with starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom soon. Benning did not add much detail, and the Canucks’ interest in retaining Markstrom has previously been reported, but Benning did let slip one new wrinkle in the story. Benning stated that part of the reason that Vancouver would like to re-sign Markstrom was the impact that it would have on their protection scheme for the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Each team can only protect one goalie and must expose an eligible goalie who is under contract or team control (RFA) in 2021. Thatcher Demko would fit this description, but the team is likely hesitant to expose their potential future starter. As such, the team will likely eye a contract of at least two years with Markstrom to ensure they have a sacrificial lamb to offer up to Seattle. Whether or not the expansion team would have interest remains to be seen, but Markstrom will certainly draw interest before then if he hits the open market this summer. It seems Benning and company will try their hardest to prevent that.
  • Expected to miss just two weeks, a month later Brandon Sutter still has yet to return to the Vancouver lineup. The team has opted to scratch him in each of their past two games despite Sutter being medically cleared, as The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that the team is being cautious and easing the veteran center back into action. This careful handling of Sutter’s health may not end any time soon either. Johnston believes that it could be a case of “load management” for Sutter this season. The defensive forward has struggled with groin injuries in the past and it is a notoriously lingering condition in hockey, so Sutter’s recent groin strain is nothing to take lightly. Expect Sutter, who was playing some of the best hockey of his Vancouver tenure before getting injured, to miss some games here and there and potentially see some fluctuations in his ice time as the Canucks manage his pain and try to keep him fresh for a hopeful playoff run..

 

Senators Notes: Zaitsev, Namestnikov, Depth

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The Ottawa Senators will have to go without one of their key defenders tonight, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Nikita Zaitsev is back in Russia for personal reasons. Zaitsev has been logging more than 23 minutes for the Senators this season, his first with the team after following head coach D.J. Smith up the highway from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his place, the team has recalled Christian Jaros (in addition to Maxime Lajoie and J.C. Beaudin earlier today) and will insert him into the lineup. More from Ottawa:

  • Vladislav Namestnikov has a tailbone injury and will be out a week, according to Garrioch. That’s a tough break for a player that has found new life in Ottawa, scoring six goals and 12 points through his 20 games since being acquired from the New York Rangers. Namestnikov, who turns 27 today, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
  • As CapFriendly points out, these recalls have stretched the Senators organizational depth incredibly thin, at least on defense. The team has just a single defenseman, Andreas Englund, still in the minor leagues on an NHL contract. Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing have also signed their entry-level deals, but were both loaned away at the start of the season. If the team suffers any further injuries, we could see an interesting recall.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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It didn’t take long for the big trade of the regular season to occur. Less than a week into the new campaign, and after just two games, the New York Rangers have traded away forward Vladislav Namestnikov. Agent Dan Milstein revealed that his client had been traded to the Ottawa Senators and the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the return is a 2021 fourth-round pick and defenseman Nick Ebert. The Rangers will also retain $750K, or 18.75%, of Namestnikov’s $4MM salary this season, the final year of his current deal. New York has confirmed the terms of the trade

The meager return for Namestnikov is a fitting end to an overall disappointing tenure for the forward in New York. Acquired by the Rangers as the lone veteran piece that came back from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the deal that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller the other way in 2018, Namestnikov, 26, was expected to flourish in more of a headlining role in the Big Apple. After just a 19-game stretch run to close out the 2017-18 season, the Rangers more than doubled Namestnikov’s salary with a two-year, $8MM contract extension. He rewarded them last season with 31 points – a 17-point drop-off from the year prior – in a campaign filled with frequent disappearing acts. Namestnikov ended up relegated to a bottom-six winger role by the end of the year and unsurprisingly became a fixture on the rumor mill this summer. The Rangers are surely disappointed in how his acquisition worked out, but happy to be rid of $3.25MM off the books this season, especially as they had been positioned precariously close to the salary cap ceiling. They receive a mid-round pick in return, as well as an intriguing depth option in Ebert. The 25-year-old blue liner is an AHL veteran who played phenomenally well in Sweden last season and hoped to return to North America in hopes of finally seeing NHL action. Given the depth of defensive prospects in Ottawa, he may actually have a better shot of achieving that goal with New York.

This trade is essentially risk-free for GM Pierre Dorion and the Ottawa Senators. They surrender only minor trade chips and land a capable player in his prime. Namestnikov’s future in Ottawa can play out in three ways. The first is, like in New York, Namestnikov fails to take advantage of a core role and has another disappointing season by his standards. This is the worst-case scenario, but it still allows the Senators to walk away at the end of the year having cost them next to nothing. Alternatively, Namestnikov could embrace this change of scenery and return to form for Ottawa. The team could try to re-sign him as a new centerpiece of their rebuilding team. However, they could also simply flip him at the trade deadline and almost certainly recoup more than they gave away. Either of those scenarios would be considered a major win for Dorion and company. It remains to be seen just how well Namestnikov – a player who has always excelled when surrounded by other elite talent – will respond to joining the rebuilding Senators, but the club has the means to give him considerable ice time and return him to his natural center position if they so choose. That could create a great opportunity for both player and team the rest of this season.

East Notes: Rangers, Johansen, McAvoy

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With the Rangers needing to find out ways to clear out salary cap space in the near future, their trade chips don’t appear to be drawing much interest.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Brendan Smith has yielded no interest while the only way they can move fellow buyout candidate Kevin Shattenkirk is if they take back another onerous contract (which wouldn’t do much to help their cap situation).  Meanwhile, they haven’t had any takes for winger Vladislav Namestnikov yet either.  With basically two weeks until their second buyout window opens up (which could come earlier if both Jacob Trouba and Pavel Buchnevich re-sign before their scheduled hearings), GM Jeff Gorton will certainly be active in the coming days to try to find a fit on the trade front.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Lucas Johansen was once Washington’s top defensive prospect but he has been passed on the depth chart over the last couple of seasons. Accordingly, NBC Sports Washington’s J.J. Regan posits that the blueliner could ultimately find himself on the trade block before too long as a result.  The Capitals have some quality depth on the back end in their system and his first-round pedigree could still be of interest to some teams; with only a small group of plausible trade chips, it’s possible that Johansen could be made available at some point next season.
  • While Charlie McAvoy is among the sizable class of notable restricted free agents this summer, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty suggests that a bridge deal for the defenseman may be the best way to go. McAvoy has lots of offensive upside but he hasn’t yet been able to put it together on a consistent basis while also dealing with injury troubles.  Between that and the fact he’s not eligible for an offer sheet, he doesn’t have a lot of leverage.  From the Bruins standpoint, a shorter-term contract would also make it easier for them to re-sign fellow RFA Brandon Carlo without needing to free up much salary.  That said, that route is probably a Plan B at this point as finding a suitable long-term fit is likely the priority for both sides.

Rangers Have Made Vladislav Namestnikov And Pavel Buchnevich Available

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With the Rangers needing to clear up some cap space following their acquisition of winger Artemi Panarin earlier this month, defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith have come up as speculative candidates to be bought out during the second buyout window.  However, as Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post notes, they are looking at the trade market as well and have made wingers Vladislav Namestnikov and Pavel Buchnevich available.

Namestnikov struggled in his first full season in New York and came up well short of the 48 points he produced with the Lightning and Rangers in 2018-19. He had just 11 goals on the season, not the type of production that they were expecting when they signed him to a two-year, $8MM contract last summer.  However, on an expiring deal, there should be teams with some interest that believe a change of scenery could help him get back to his Tampa Bay levels.

Buchnevich’s presence here is a little more interesting.  The restricted free agent had a career-best 21 goals last season and has emerged as a capable middle-six winger for New York.  While he is going to salary arbitration, it seems unlikely that he’d be able to command the contract that Namestnikov has.  Since he still has three years of team control remaining, GM Jeff Gorton should be able to command a strong return if they do indeed move him.

Cyrgalis also mentions Chris Kreider as a potential trade possibility although for a different reason entirely.  If they can agree on a contract extension, then he clearly wouldn’t be made available.  However, if they wind up still being far apart on a new deal, then it’s certainly possible that he could find himself on the move.

As things stand, the Rangers have a little over $7MM in cap space, per CapFriendly.  However, defenseman Jacob Trouba will basically take up all of that with Buchnevich, Anthony Deangelo, and Brendan Lemieux still needing new contracts as well.  Their second buyout window won’t open up until Trouba and Buchnevich both sign.  If Buchnevich was to go to his hearing on July 29th, his reward wouldn’t come until the end of the month which would give Gorton about two and a half weeks to deal with his cap crunch.  That makes the Rangers a team to watch for in the coming weeks.

Vladislav Namestnikov Generating Trade Interest

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It’s not often that a forward averaging just ten minutes a night and with just one point in his first eight games generates a lot of trade interest, but that might be the case for New York Rangers center Vladislav Namestnikov. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that there is some interest in Namestnikov and that the Rangers may be willing to listen. The 25-year old center has been pushed further and further down the lineup this season for the Rangers, and played just 13 shifts (9:25) on Tuesday night.

Though he may not be performing well this year, there’s good reason to believe Namestnikov can still be an effective player in the NHL. Originally selected 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he eventually grew into a talented offensive player that lined up alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov for a time. Though skating next to those two superstars helped along his numbers, his underlying possession statistics have always been relatively good and he’s at least shown that he can play up in the lineup if given the chance.

Part of the reason the Rangers may have decided to move on from him as a core piece is the fact that Namestnikov is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season. Signed to a two-year, $8MM contract in July, he may be both too expensive and slightly too old to really figure into their rebuild. He’ll be looking for a long-term deal when he hits the open market—provided his play rebounds in New York or elsewhere—just while the Rangers are ready to start competing again with their young core. Just like Kevin Hayes, who has made it clear he’d rather stay with the Rangers, there might just not be room for them on the next iteration of the team.

Vladislav Namestnikov Signs Two-Year Contract With New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with Vladislav Namestnikov on a two-year contract that will pay him $4MM a season. There had been rumors earlier in the day that Namestnikov was considering a return to the KHL, but agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey immediately shot them down and indicated the deal was in the works. Namestnikov will instead remain in New York and try to find some chemistry with the team that acquired him midseason.

After being sent by the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the package to acquire Ryan McDonagh, Namestnikov struggled in New York. With just four points in 19 games, he finished his season with 48—which was still a career high, but much less than he was on pace for at the time of the trade. Of course, in Tampa Bay Namestnikov had spent much of the season on a line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, something he won’t be afforded during his time with the Rangers. Instead, they’ll rely on him to create offense on his own and help round out a forward group that has a lot of potential, but were very inconsistent last season.

Interestingly the 25-year old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this deal, meaning he could turn into trade bait again should the Rangers struggle to rebound from their disappointing season in 2017-18. There’s a ton of talent in the Russian forward, who can play center or wing, but he hasn’t quite been able to put it all together for a full season. If that happens in New York, they’ll have a very valuable asset on their hands, or a key player to build around on a free agent deal.

For now, a $4MM cap hit puts him as the fourth highest-paid forward on the team and he’ll be expected to produce like it. We’ll have to wait and see if he ends up playing center, or if Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson’s development ends up pushing Namestnikov to the wing once again.

Free Agent Notes: Holden, Ellis, Namestnikov, Wilson

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The Vegas Golden Knights already surprised a few when they reached out and stole Paul Stastny away from Western Conference rival Winnipeg. However, the Golden Knights are apparently not done as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vegas is the front-runner for unrestricted free agent defenseman Nick Holden.

Holden, who spent time with both the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins last season, would be a solid depth defenseman that could add to Vegas’ core. he averaged 19:00 ATOI between both clubs, but only posted four goals and 17 points on the year. However, the 31-year-old may be starting to show a decline in skills as he was a 34-point player in 2016-17 with the Rangers.

Incidentally, Holden is being pursued by two teams as the Boston Bruins are also vying for the blueliner’s services, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The Bruins, after all, gave up a third-round pick and low-end prospect Rob O’Gara at the deadline.

  • LeBrun also mentions that while Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, who will be a unrestricted free agent in one year, can sign an extension as of today. However, the scribe writes that Nashville isn’t there yet. They intend to reignite talks with Ellis and his representatives within the next one to two weeks. Nashville wants to keep Ellis in the fold at all costs as the team has put major emphasis on having a dominant four defense. The team already has P.K. Subban ($9MM AAV) and Mattias Ekholm ($3.75MM AAV) locked up for four years, while Roman Josi ($4MM AAV) is signed for another two years.
  • The New York Rangers can breathe easier after the agent for restricted free agent Vladislav Namestnikov, Dan Milstein, refuted rumors that the forward was leaving for the KHL. Namestnikov, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, but saw his playing time drop once he arrived in New York. After averaging 17:30 of ATOI as a Lightning, his playing time dropped to 15:43, along with his offensive production. After potting 20 goals with Tampa Bay, he managed just four points in 19 games with the Rangers. However, Milstein insists the rumors are not true and that Namestnikov believes playing in the NHL is a privilege and honor and an extension is in the works with the New York Rangers.
  • Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports the Buffalo Sabres are currently working on re-signing winger Scott Wilson. The 26-year-old was picked up in a December trade this last season from the Detroit Red Wings and played a regular role as a bottom-six forward. After not scoring a point in 17 games with Detroit, he tallied six goals and 14 points in 49 games in Buffalo.

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