Player Discussion Vladislav Namestnikov

[Larrybiv]

Just think this guy deserves a bump. Just getting to catch the game now and I’m really impressed. He’s really asserting himself and setting himself up for great scoring chances. Really looks a lot more confident then when we first got him.

Good bump. Maybe he did a bump before the game last night? Naaah, just kidding. He really has been playing well lately, in fact for a greater part of the season. Problem was, because he was a significant name in that deal, we rightfully expected him to do some good stuff. Doesnt always happen that way, in fact rarely.......everyone knows its especially difficult coming to NY. Then there is....
......Lack of confidence (his first trade)
.......Losing his "quality" linemates and getting significantly less here.
.......Few Russian comrades to talk to here?
Big change for ANYONE.
Now its a new season........DONE with the reasons/excuses. Now perform.
IF he keeps playing like this.......it would be best to keep him. Enough with selling off everyone. I know his 4mil pricetag is high for what he has done thus far......but lets wait and re-evaluate when the time is right.
He actually "could be" someone you might want on a rebuilding team moving forward. He works hard and has decent enough ability. I know the majority of fans wanna rid of him, but......ya' just never know what he might turn into. His luck has been horrific. Things change when u work hard.
Even Vesey js starting to look like a solid enough reputable player.

 

[Larrybiv]

Now, after reading the above 2 posts AFTER i quoted the bump......seems like we are on the same page here. There is time, and hoping he can be a part of the future. Why not? He js young enough and maybe he hasnt even reached the heights he can reach?

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Got to make room for prospects, so he is one of the pieces that might be traded.

 

[Larrybiv]

Got to make room for prospects, so he is one of the pieces that might be traded.

Really beg to differ. There isn't ANY need to do that this off season. You dont just "make room" for prospects and push aside a player "just like that", HANDING a job to a prospect. They have to "earn" that. And i simply dont see any superstars (that we dont have) replacing him. Yeah, maybe Kravtsov, but there are other spots to be had.....not necessarily Vladdy's. But, he DOES have to continue to produce.

 

[Nickmo82]

I'd ship him out just because he is so... beige. Yeah, he's decent defensively. Yeah, he chips in offensively sometimes... but he's so dull. He steps on the ice and me eyes glaze over.

 

[eco's bones]

Good bump. Maybe he did a bump before the game last night? Naaah, just kidding. He really has been playing well lately, in fact for a greater part of the season. Problem was, because he was a significant name in that deal, we rightfully expected him to do some good stuff. Doesnt always happen that way, in fact rarely.......everyone knows its especially difficult coming to NY. Then there is....
......Lack of confidence (his first trade)
.......Losing his "quality" linemates and getting significantly less here.
.......Few Russian comrades to talk to here?
Big change for ANYONE.
Now its a new season........DONE with the reasons/excuses. Now perform.
IF he keeps playing like this.......it would be best to keep him. Enough with selling off everyone. I know his 4mil pricetag is high for what he has done thus far......but lets wait and re-evaluate when the time is right.
He actually "could be" someone you might want on a rebuilding team moving forward. He works hard and has decent enough ability. I know the majority of fans wanna rid of him, but......ya' just never know what he might turn into. His luck has been horrific. Things change when u work hard.
Even Vesey js starting to look like a solid enough reputable player.

Players often find it difficult fitting in with new teams and that's not just average players----that can include really big names. The day Phil Esposito moved from the Bruins to the Rangers he went from a guaranteed 120 point a year player to a 80 point a year player. Now some players overnight get better after they're traded or do about the same but a lot don't. Often times when the player is a younger player it's actually an easier adjustment--kind of like a fresh start.

Anyway Namestnikov until last year was a 3rd line 30-35 point guy but last year Tampa put him up with Stamkos and Kucherov and his numbers spiked upwards. Truth is he's probably just a 30-35 point guy and I kind of expect that's where he'll end up this year. Vlad always had an English language connection growing up---the cultural and language barrier thing was not as big a hurdle for him as other Russian players and off the top of my head Tampa has 3 Russians Vasilevskiy, Kucherov and Sergachev and the Rangers have two--Buchnevich and Georgiev + Kreider who actually does speak Russian.

The kind of player that Namestnikov is--he'll always be movable for the right return. IMO he's not a $4 mil per year player. The Rangers went overboard last summer with contracts for both him and Spooner. He'll be a UFA after next year I believe and honestly I wouldn't be giving him a bigger contract to keep him from going to free agency.

 

[Larrybiv]

Actually, his English is amazing. He is a very well spoken young man. Impressive. Very likeable. I would like him waaaaay more, if he can somehow put up those same numbers even without Kucherov and Stamkos on his sides. Lol.

Actually, that is unfair.......he is a solid solid 3rd liner, and if put on top 6......definitely needs to be playing with some serious talent. Not really going to get tons of talent out of him. He is closer to a Fast than he is to a Zbad, per sé. Obviously.

 

[eco's bones]

Actually, his English is amazing. He is a very well spoken young man. Impressive. Very likeable. I would like him waaaaay more, if he can somehow put up those same numbers even without Kucherov and Stamkos on his sides. Lol.

Actually, that is unfair.......he is a solid solid 3rd liner, and if put on top 6......definitely needs to be playing with some serious talent. Not really going to get tons of talent out of him. He is closer to a Fast than he is to a Zbad, per sé. Obviously.

Fast is a little more defensive and Namestnikov a little more offensive. They are practically equals though. But a key point is Fast is on a lot friendlier contract. To me they both should be at about $2.5 and Fast is under and Names is way over. I can see giving Fast another contract--that wouldn't be an issue but if Vlad wants the same or more--that's an issue. To me Gorton kind of f***ed up with him and Spooner and because of that I'd be looking to move on from Namestnikov instead of trying to sign him again. He looks like one of next year's rentals.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Actually, his English is amazing. He is a very well spoken young man. Impressive. Very likeable. I would like him waaaaay more, if he can somehow put up those same numbers even without Kucherov and Stamkos on his sides. Lol.

Actually, that is unfair.......he is a solid solid 3rd liner, and if put on top 6......definitely needs to be playing with some serious talent. Not really going to get tons of talent out of him. He is closer to a Fast than he is to a Zbad, per sé. Obviously.

He lived in the US longer than he lived in Russia. Remember, his dad played in the NHL.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Really beg to differ. There isn't ANY need to do that this off season. You dont just "make room" for prospects and push aside a player "just like that", HANDING a job to a prospect. They have to "earn" that. And i simply dont see any superstars (that we dont have) replacing him. Yeah, maybe Kravtsov, but there are other spots to be had.....not necessarily Vladdy's. But, he DOES have to continue to produce.

Eitheer Vesey or Namestnikov or Strome or Kreider or Fast.

I think 2 of the above need to be traded at the draft to make room. (Kreider would have to get a big return back in order for us to trade them)

 

[bobbop]

What’s important is that Vlad is a good hockey player. He is not a $4MM player but he is an asset. He will contribute as long as he is here and in the future he will either a) sign back for less $ or b) be moved sometime in the next 12 months for a reasonable return. He is not taking up roster space.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

What’s important is that Vlad is a good hockey player. He is not a $4MM player but he is an asset. He will contribute as long as he is here and in the future he will either a) sign back for less $ or b) be moved sometime in the next 12 months for a reasonable return. He is not taking up roster space.

But if a winger isn't scoring 20 goals, he's automatically a waste of a roster spot. Some people truly think this way. He's a good middle 6 player throughout this rebuild.

 

[True Blue]

He's a good middle 6 player throughout this rebuild.

I agree. Completely changed his game around. Still not producing enough to justify a $4m price tag, but I would be open to bringing him back albeit at a cheaper price.

 

[SA16]

He is a waste of a roster spot at 4M.

There is almost never a scenario where mid priced player/high priced player will yield better results than ELC or cheap FA/very high priced player.

Example: assuming all were FA this year you could have:
A. Namestnikov(4M)+Kreider (7M) for 11M
B. Panarin (11M) + random ELC (700k) for 11.7M.

B is just always going to be better.

 

[DanielBrassard]

He is a waste of a roster spot at 4M.

There is almost never a scenario where mid priced player/high priced player will yield better results than ELC or cheap FA/very high priced player.

Example: assuming all were FA this year you could have:
A. Namestnikov(4M)+Kreider (7M) for 11M
B. Panarin (11M) + random ELC (700k) for 11.7M.

B is just always going to be better.

I like Vlad, but this.

 

[True Blue]

I like Vlad, but this.

Sure, but he wouldn't be brought back at $4.

 

[SA16]

Sure, but he wouldn't be brought back at $4.

And yet...look at the whole 3.5-4.5M forward salary group. Outside some of the long term deals like Arvidsson it's largely a disaster. Sutter, Frolik, Abdelkader, Perreault, Bonino, Bjugstad, Rask, Spooner, Namestnikov, Boedker, Hagelin, Wilson, Shaw, Helm etc. There are some good short term FA deals there like Justin Williams. Those guys just have to be squeezed out and you just need to go with more of an elite player/ELC type approach these days.

I'm sure it's not the case around the league but I would consider Namestnikov @4M to be negative value so I'd definitely deal him for a 3rd or whatever since teams will pay it.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

And yet...look at the whole 3.5-4.5M forward salary group. Outside some of the long term deals like Arvidsson it's largely a disaster. Sutter, Frolik, Abdelkader, Perreault, Bonino, Bjugstad, Rask, Spooner, Namestnikov, Boedker, Hagelin, Wilson, Shaw, Helm etc. There are some good short term FA deals there like Justin Williams. Those guys just have to be squeezed out and you just need to go with more of an elite player/ELC type approach these days.

You would think the market would begin to dictate this at some point. I agree with the concept, so its surprising to see relatively marginal players receive these types of contracts.

 

[will1066]

It's just economics and the reality of that. 30 teams are looking to squeeze out dream value out of contracts and players. Not much longer will $4M players mean they will pot home 20-plus goals and 40-plus points.

 

[Larrybiv]

But if a winger isn't scoring 20 goals, he's automatically a waste of a roster spot. Some people truly think this way. He's a good middle 6 player throughout this rebuild.

I know the 1st part is sarcasm......Your final sentence, totally agree with. If he played the way he did in the 1st month, I eould have wanted him GONE in exchange for a bag of pucks.....but his play since then has been hard nosed, and with some puck luck or simply the ability to finish......he would have 15+ goals. Regardless, he is "accountable" out there and solid enough to be looked up to by anyone younger incoming. Definitely a good bridge for now......and its up to him to provide MORE, so that in the future he will be well worth "that spot" on the roster and yeah, probably for less than what he was mistakenly afforded in this 2 year contract. I am rooting for him, he's a good kid.

 

[Larrybiv]

He is a waste of a roster spot at 4M.

There is almost never a scenario where mid priced player/high priced player will yield better results than ELC or cheap FA/very high priced player.

Example: assuming all were FA this year you could have:
A. Namestnikov(4M)+Kreider (7M) for 11M
B. Panarin (11M) + random ELC (700k) for 11.7M.

B is just always going to be better.

Unless that random ELC really stinks OR if Panarin got injured.
If one of Names or Kreids got injured, it wouldn't hurt quite as bad as losing a Panarin.

 

[Matz03]

He is a waste of a roster spot at 4M.

There is almost never a scenario where mid priced player/high priced player will yield better results than ELC or cheap FA/very high priced player.

Example: assuming all were FA this year you could have:
A. Namestnikov(4M)+Kreider (7M) for 11M
B. Panarin (11M) + random ELC (700k) for 11.7M.

B is just always going to be better.

That is not a very good example at all. How is Edmonton doing with their $11m guys + random? I will easily take Kreider + Namestnikov instead of Panarin +Brickley. The game is still played on the ice, not on paper.

 

[True Blue]

And yet...look at the whole 3.5-4.5M forward salary group. Outside some of the long term deals like Arvidsson it's largely a disaster. Sutter, Frolik, Abdelkader, Perreault, Bonino, Bjugstad, Rask, Spooner, Namestnikov, Boedker, Hagelin, Wilson, Shaw, Helm etc. There are some good short term FA deals there like Justin Williams. Those guys just have to be squeezed out and you just need to go with more of an elite player/ELC type approach these days.

Not disputing this at all. Do you really think that he will demand an increase form $4m? Like others have said, at some point the market will dictate the reality.

 

[Larrybiv]

With increased scoring, would I be totally wrong in saying you should get more than 1 point per 100,000? And if not, he had better be one exceptional defensive player.

Breaking it down......
40+points for Names=4 million
For that kind of money, he should at least get 50 points. With scoring as it has been. Not gonna happen though.

That's almost like paying a goalie 6-7 million with a save pctg. of a measly 90%. Should be better than that, you would think. But not everything can be broken down that way.
Ex. What if your team stinks defensively? Not goaltenders fault he is below 90%, now would it be?

 

[SA16]

That is not a very good example at all. How is Edmonton doing with their $11m guys + random? I will easily take Kreider + Namestnikov instead of Panarin +Brickley. The game is still played on the ice, not on paper.

I am pretty sure Edmonton is better off with Draisaitl+Chiasson for 9.5M than they would be with Lucic+Gagner for 9.5M. Oh wait, they have both.

And I will EASILY take Panarin+Brickley over Kreider+Namestnikov and I don't think it's remotely close especially with a coach like Quinn who gives his top line huge minutes relative to his fourth line.