Vladislav Namestnikov

Namestnikov was selected 20th overall by the London Knights in the 2010 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) entry draft.[2] He was also selected 11th overall in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) draft by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, but he ultimately chose London after deciding he did not want to play in Russia.[3] Namestnikov scored 68 points in 68 games with the Knights in 2010-11 and was rated one of the top players available in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, eventually being selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On 13 March 2012, the Lightning announced that they had signed Namestnikov to a three-year, entry-level contract. He played in 60 games with the London Knights that season, scoring 22 goals and 70 points. He also appeared in six OHL playoff games in 2011, recording one goal and five points.[4]

On 14 September 2012, the Lightning assigned Namestnikov and 17 other players to the Syracuse Crunch, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, during the 2012–13 NHL lockout.[5] He finished the season playing in the Calder Cup Final, where the Crunch fell to the Grand Rapids Griffins in a 4–2 series defeat.[6]

On 7 February 2014, Tampa Bay recalled Namestnikov from the Crunch, where at the time he was leading the team in assists and points.[7] Namestnikov made his NHL debut on 8 February 2014, skating 11:55 for the Lightning in their 4–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.[8] On 5 March 2014, Namestnikov was reassigned to the Crunch after failing to register a point in four NHL games.[9] He regained his scoring touch in Syracuse and on 6 January 2015, he represented the Eastern Conference in the AHL All-Star Game.

Namestnikov made Tampa Bay's roster out of training camp to start the 2014–15 season.[10] On 13 October 2014, he picked up his first career NHL point with an assist on a Victor Hedman goal, and soon after scored his first career NHL goal in a 7–1 Tampa victory over the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first career game-winning goal on 24 October in a game against the Winnipeg Jets.[11] Though he had begun demonstrating that he could contribute offensively at the NHL level, the Lightning reassigned Namestnikov to Syracuse on 3 December 2014.[12] He was recalled to Tampa on 4 March 2015, and the team selected him to their playoff roster.

On 17 July 2015, the Lightning announced the re-signing of Namestnikov to a one-year, two-way contract. He subsequently played in 43 games with the Lightning during the 2014–15 NHL season and posted nine goals and 16 points (9–7–16), all career highs. Namestnikov appeared in 12 Stanley Cup playoff games in 2015, recording one assist. In addition, he played in 34 games with the Syracuse Crunch during the 2014–15 season, registering 14 goals and 35 points.[13]

On 15 January 2016, Namestnikov recorded his first career NHL hat-trick in a 5–4 overtime win over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.[14] On 3 May 2016, Namestnikov recorded his first NHL playoff goal, which came in a 5–4 overtime Lightning win over the New York Islanders.[15]

Namestnikov re-signed with the Lightning during the summer of 2016, agreeing to a two-year, $3.875 million deal.[16]

On 26 February 2018, the day of the 2017–18 NHL trade deadline, the Lightning sent Namestnikov to the New York Rangers, along with Brett Howden, Libor Hájek and a 2018 and 2019 draft pick, in exchange for Ryan McDonagh and J. T. Miller.[17] The Rangers re-signed Namestnikov to a two-year extension on 1 July 2018.[18]

Namestnikov began the 2019–20 season with two scoreless games for the Rangers before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nick Ebert and a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft on 7 October 2019.[19] In his debut with the Senators, he registered an assist in a 6–4 loss to the St. Louis Blues on 11 October 2019.[20] In his second game, Namestnikov collected his first two goals plus an assist against his former club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping the Senators claim their first victory of the season in a 4–2 decision on 12 October 2019.[21] In an increased offensive role, Namestnikov collected 13 goals and 25 points in 54 games for the Senators.

With the rebuilding Senators falling out of playoff contention, Namestnikov was traded for the second time within the season, dealt to the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round draft selection on 24 February 2020.[22]

On 11 October 2020, Namestnikov signed a two-year, $4 million dollar contract with the Detroit Red Wings.[23]

On 26 January 2021, Namestnikov became the first player to score a goal wearing number 92 for the team.