Updated 3x at 5:34 PM: The Red Wings signed Vladislav Namestnikov to a 2-year, $4 million contract on Sunday afternoon, and in his remarks to the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan, the Commerce Township native explained that, despite his circuitous journey from Ontario to Metro Detroit to Russia and back to the U.S. as a child and then a teenager, he feels like the Red Wings are his “hometown team“:
“Detroit was always on the top of my list,” Namestnikov said. “It’s kind of awesome it happened and I’m beyond grateful. Hopefully we can start here soon and get it going. It was a priority to be here. I’m from here. It really wasn’t a hard decision when it came down to it.”
In many ways, this was like coming home for Namestnikov. He also talked about hanging around the Wings’ locker room at Joe Louis Arena when Kozlov played, and meeting current general manager Steve Yzerman — at a park in Birmingham.
“My aunt was with me, and Steve was with his daughters. That’s my memory of first meeting him, in a park in Birmingham,” Namestnikov said. “I have flashbacks of going into the locker room, I had hockey cards and I went around and had guys sign my hockey cards.
“I have a bunch of cards somewhere. We moved from Waterford to here and I know they’re somewhere. I know I have them for sure.
“It does (feel like coming home). It still doesn’t feel real, but in a way it does feel like coming home. This is our summer home for many years and I grew up here, so it definitely feels like coming home, and like I said, I’m beyond excited.”
Update: Here’s more from NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika:
“It’s awesome,” Namestnikov said. “I mean, I grew up in Michigan. I was always around the team when my uncle played. So I’m familiar with the area. I skate every summer with the guys, so I’m familiar with all the players here, and I’m excited to join the team.
“I’ve known [Yzerman] for a long time. He drafted me in Tampa, and definitely it helps when you’re familiar with the GM. That definitely came into play when I made my decision, and I’m happy with worked out here and I got to sign with Detroit.”
The Red Wings were 17-49-5 last season and have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2016.
“I understand the situation, but I want to be a part of the rebuild,” Namestnikov said. “I want to be a part of the Red Wings going forward. So I’m going to come in and have a good summer here, try to come in, help the team as much as possible and go from there.
“It still doesn’t feel real, but it in a way, it does feel like coming home. I mean, this is my summer home for many years, and I grew up here. So it definitely feels like it’s like a coming home. As I said before, I’m beyond excited, and hopefully we can get it started here soon.”
Update #2: Here’s even more from MLive’s Ansar Khan:
Namestnikov (6-0, 183) had 17 goals and 14 assists in 31 games, mostly with Ottawa, after starting the season with the New York Rangers and ending it in Colorado.
“It was definitely a hard year, traded twice,” Namestnikov said. “I didn’t feel part of a team. It’s nice that I signed a two-year deal and hopefully I can build off that and stay here for a long time and find a home.”
The Red Wings have considered using Robby Fabbri in the second-line center slot, after he finished the season there. Namestnikov, who said he can play all three forward positions, might be a more viable option, enabling Fabbri to play the wing.
“Where the coach sees me, I’ll fill in,” Namestnikov said. “I’m a natural center but the last couple of years I played wing. I guess we’ll see in training camp what the coaches decide.”
He added, “I think I can bring a two-way game, I’m pretty responsible in my own end and I can bring some offense, too. I’ve been in the league a while now and I can bring that experience to the Red Wings.”
Update #3: Here’s even more from the Free Press’s Helene St. James:
“It’s awesome,” he said Sunday from his home in Wolverine Lake, a few miles outside of Novi. “I grew up in Michigan. I was always around the team when my uncle played, so I am familiar with the area. I skate every summer with the guys so I am familiar with all the players here. I’m excited to join the team.”
Namestnikov didn’t talk with Yzerman leading up to the contract, but knowing he’s in charge of the Wings, “definitely came into play when I made my decision,” Namestnikov said. “I’m happy it worked out.” (From what Namestnikov can recall, the first time he met Yzerman was in a park in Birmingham; Namestnikov was there with his aunt, Yzerman was there with one of his daughters.)
One of the first people Namestnikov reached out to after agreeing to the deal was Kozlov, who works as a coach in their native Russia.
“I messaged with him, told him I signed, he was extremely happy,” Namestnikov said. “He’s excited. He played here for a long time and it was his home. I’m sure he’s proud.”
Kozlov won two Stanley Cups with the Wings as a member of the Russian Five. Namestnikov, however, joins a team that is coming off a 17-victory season. He fits the pattern established by Yzerman since taking command of the Wings in April 2019: A short-term contract to a player who can help the team be more competitive, while waiting for prospects to advance the rebuild. Namestnikov is the fifth player Yzerman has signed since free agency began Friday, joining forward Bobby Ryan (one year, $1 million), defensemen Jon Merrill (one year, $925,000) and Troy Stecher (two years, $3.4 million) and goaltender Thomas Greiss (two years, $7.2 million).
For Namestnikov, a two-year deal offers a measure of stability after stints last season with the New York Rangers (two games), Ottawa Senators (54 games) and Colorado Avalanche (nine games).
“It was definitely a hard year last year, being traded twice,” Namestnikov said. “I kind of, it’s hard to say, I didn’t feel part of a team, I guess. It’s nice that I signed two years and hopefully I can build off that and stay here for a long time and find a home. I want to be a part of the rebuild, I want to be a part of the Red Wings. I’m going to come in and try to help the team as much as possible. Detroit was always at the top of my list and it’s kind of awesome that it happened.”
