The New York Rangers asccomplished something they have been trying to do for months. They traded Vlad Namestnikov. This was clearly a salary dump as they got AHL defenseman Nick Ebert and a 2021 fourth round pick from Ottawa in exchange.
The New York Rangers traded Vlad Namestnikov to the Ottawa Senators in a move to clear salary cap space and open up the roster. They sent the Russian and his $4 million cap hit to Ottawa for a minor league defenseman and a fourth round draft pick, though they are retaining $750,000 of Namestnikov’s salary.
Namestnikov had come to the Rangers in the big 2018 trade deadline deal that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite scoring 20 goals in 64 games that season in Tampa, he could never replicate those numbers in New York. He scored only two goals in 19 games his first year with the Rangers and last season he had 11 goals and 31 points in 78 games.
No one can dispute that Namestnikov was a hardworking forward who used his body and gave 100% every game. His performance improved after an early benching by David Quinn as he tried to live up to his $4 million salary. Jeff Gorton had signed him to a two year extension in the summer of 2018 for $4 million a year, a salary that would become an issue for the Rangers this season as they are in cap trouble.
This season, Namestnikov has started both games, playing on the third line with Brett Howden and Jesper Fast. He is minus two on the season and has not scored. Either the Senators liked what they saw on Saturday or the Rangers waited until after the game to make the trade so that he wouldn’t embarrass them.
In return, the Blueshirts get a fourth round draft pick in 2021 and defenseman Nick Ebert. Ebert is a native of Livingston, New Jersey who was a seventh round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2011. A righthanded shot, the 25-year old has spent the last two season in the KHL and Sweden before returning to the AHL this fall.
The trade gives the Blueshirts $4,292,001 in cap space, enough flexibility to make a roster move this season. The big question is who will be brought up to replace Namestikov on the major league roster. The team may chose to go with their existing lineup and dress with Greg McKegg or Micheal Haley who have been scratched the first two games.
They could also choose to promote Vitali Kravtsov if the feel he is ready to step and play regularly in Namestnikov’s slot on the third line. There was some consternation when Kravtsov was a healthy scratch in his second AHL game this weekend. If he is promoted, that could be a reason, though it wouldn’t be justification for his not getting the AHL experience. Another option is Filip Chytil who has gotten off to a great start in Hartford.
The final line on Vlad Namestnikov’s Ranger career is 13 goals and 35 points in 99 games. He was a minus 14 in those 99 games and had 56 minutes in penalties.