Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes that Red Wings forward Vladislav Namestnikov knows that he must improve over his first season with Detroit if he is to continue his tenure here:
“I think I could have produced more,” Namestnikov said. “It was kind of a down year personally.”
Signed to a two-year, $4 million contract by the Detroit Red Wings prior to last season, bigger things were expected from Vladislav Namestnikov than what he delivered on the ice. He finished with eight goals and nine assists from 53 games. This from a player who potted 17 goals in the previous season and a career-high 22 as recently as 2017-18.
Excuses? Sure, they would be available. The strange conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay in the launch of the season until January. The shortened, condensed 56-game campaign.
Again, he’s not going there. Namestnikov is only finding fault in himself.
“I wouldn’t blame it on the weird year,” Namestnikov said. “We were obviously all in the same situation. Sometimes you just aren’t happy with the way you play all season. I think I could have been way better.”
