New York Rangers report card series looks at forward Vlad Namestnikov in his first full season since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning last February.
Vlad Namestnikov: Grade B-
The New York Rangers had high expectations for Vladislav Namestnikov when they acquired him as part of last February’s blockbuster trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately his first 19 games as a Ranger after the trade were rather forgettable with just two goals and four points compared to the 20 goals and 44 points he had in Tampa. To be fair, few players would have trouble scoring points playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov every night.
Last year’s incomplete grade provided a clean slate and the challenge to prove his value to Coach David Quinn after the 26-year old signed a two year $8 million contract extension last summer.
His season
Namestnikov began the pre-season as a left winger on a line with Vinni Lettieri and Kevin Hayes. However when the season opened Namestnikov found himself as a fourth line center and at odds with Quinn over his playing time, situational minutes and role within the team.
Many believed that Namestnikov would not respond well to Quinn’s taskmaster approach demanding a two hundred foot game. They were wrong. Namestnikov may not have put up numbers but he was scoring points with Quinn and his teammates. He was one of the hardest working and reliable forwards throughout the season.
Namestnikov emerged as a dependable penalty killer and a player who Quinn relied upon in critical situations. While his overall scoring placed him eighth on the Rangers, he tied for the team lead in short handed goals and third on the team with three game winning goals.
Why the grade
Namestnikov’s season has to evaluated within his full contribution on ice. Clearly not among the biggest players within the lineup he played a heavier game with the third most hits on the team with 140. He gave up the body not only in his checking but his 62 blocked shots was eighth most on the team and only Mika Zibanejad had more among Ranger forwards. These are among the statistical data that show us that Namestnikov was relatively under-appreciated on the defensive side of his game while still contributing offensively.
All in all, Namestnikov’s offensive numbers were not commensurate with his $4 million salary especially considering he was coming off consecutive 20 goal seasons. His drop in scoring can be attributed to his role within the lineup and the lack of depth skill among a young Rangers squad. It will be interesting to see whether Namestnikov can take his improved overall game to another level given an opportunity to play with more skilled line mates offensively.
He’s a solid depth player who reminds me of Niklas Sundstrom and Sergei Nemchinov, the type of player who is under appreciated but makes valuable contributions. He should be able to produce 15 to 20 goal and 45 points next season.
The numbers and team rank
Games: 78 (5th)
Goals: 11 (8th)
Assists: 20 (7th)
Points: 31 (8th)
CF%: 47.1% (9th among players > 40 games)
Plus/Minus: -7
PIM: 44
ATOI: 15:48
Game Winning Goals: 3 (3rd)
Shorthanded Goals: 2 (T1st)
Next report card: Boo Nieves