The Ottawa Senators insist their youth movement is still in the works.
Coming soon to an arena near you.
At the moment, it’s a case of the ‘kids are deferred.’
The Ottawa Senators do have young talent on the NHL roster, including Brady Tkachuk, Colin White and Erik Brannstrom.
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Yet, with the acquisition of veteran New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, a pending unrestricted free agent, Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion was asked some pointed questions about a possible change in direction away from a youth movement in 2019-20.
“To the contrary,” Dorion said Tuesday, after Namestnikov had his first practice in Ottawa, skating on a second line with a familiar Russian linemate, Artem Anisimov and right winger Connor Brown.
“We have a plan,” Dorion said. “We want to make sure we stick to the plan… our long term vision is to make sure our young guys develop in Belleville and don’t lose confidence. So when they get called up they’re ready to go.”
In fact, head coach D.J. Smith said one of the advantages of acquiring a speedy, versatile two-way forward like Namestnikov is that it buys time for the younger players to develop without being rushed.
“It allows us to keep our guys a lot more accountable,” Smith said. “It allows us to keep the young guys down there (in the AHL). It’s a good move for us now and later.”
As quickly as Namestnikov joined the club, 21-year-old callup Vitaly Abramov, a fellow Russian, was pushed down the depth chart to the fourth line with centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Sabourin.
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Dorion says the trade for Namestnikov was considered prior to the season, and again as recently as last week, but took time to complete. Ottawa sent to the Rangers minor league defenceman Nick Ebert and a fourth-round draft pick in 2021.
The Rangers are picking up some of Namestnikov’s $4-million cap hit, about $750,000 worth.
His best season was with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017-18 – Namestnikov was a 20-goal scorer and had 44 points in 62 games. That he often played alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov didn’t hurt. A first-round pick of the Lightning–selected 27th overall in 2011–Namestnikov then moved to New York as part of a blockbuster trade in 2018 that sent J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh to Tampa.
In parts of three seasons with the Rangers, Namestnikov had just 13 goals and 22 assists in 99 games.
Naturally, he was asked why his production tailed off in New York.
“It’s hard to say, there were a lot of factors that went into it,” said the soft-spoken Namestnikov. “I felt they were going in a different direction so I’m just grateful that I get another opportunity here.”
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Namestnikov said that while he never asked for a trade, he knew he was the subject of trade rumours in the off-season. He chose not to pay attention, but wasn’t all that surprised to be dealt.
With Ottawa, he will get more opportunities. A third-line winger with the Rangers, he was getting second-line work and second unit power-play duty at his first practice.
Namestnikov displayed instant chemistry with Anisimov, and it’s no accident. The pair played together in World Cup and World Championship competition for Russia.
“He’s an awesome centre,” Namestnikov says of Anisimov. “He’s reliable, and I can read off him. He can read off me.”
It wasn’t long ago the Senators dressing room was a Russia-free zone. Today there are four Russians – defenceman Nikita Zaitsev being the fourth. One more Russian defenceman and the Senators can ice a complete Russian unit.
Ottawa centre Chris Tierney was a teammate of Namestnikov with the OHL London Knights from 2010-12. For much of that time, Namestnikov was the Knights first-line centre, and Tierney said he learned a lot from his older teammate.
“He’s a good player, he’s skilled, he can skate,” Tierney said. “He’s hard on pucks. He’s got a little more edge to him than you might see on the outside. It’s good to have him here.”
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There’s a reason Namestnikov speaks with no discernible Russian accent – he has spent more of his life in North America than in Russia.
Born in Voskresenk Russia, Namestnikov moved to Utah at eight months of age, returned to Russia at age 9 and back to North America at 17 to play junior. Vlad’s father, Evgeny Namestnikov, bounced around in the AHL and NHL, playing 43 NHL games for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders and Nashville Predators.
The family hockey connections don’t end there. Vlad Namestnikov’s uncle, Slava Kozlov, played on the Detroit Red Wings championship teams of the late 1990s and was a linemate of Igor Larionov, who became a mentor of the young Namestnikov.
“He was one of my favourite players growing up,” Namestnikov says of Larionov, the legendary Russian forward. “I see him every summer.”
The Namestnikovs make their home in Michigan. In Madison Heights, Vlad trains in the summer with Christian Wolanin, the Senators defenceman who suffered a knee injury in training camp.
While Wolanin won’t play for weeks, Namestnikov will make his Senators debut Thursday against the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.
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Whether Namestnikov is here for a short time, as a deadline trade asset, or longer, remains to be seen. He turns 27 in November.
Dorion referred to his newest acquisition as someone “who will help this hockey team in the short term but also the long term with the compete level he brings.”
Brown, Batherson in due time
Speaking to an Ottawa radio station recently, Logan Brown’s agent, Andy Scott, expressed displeasure that his client was still in the minors after four training camps with Ottawa. On Tuesday, Dorion said he wants his young players to be ready to stay when they do get promoted.
“We don’t have a more talented centre in our organization than Logan Brown,” Dorion said. “Whether he comes here shortly, or in a month’s time or two months’ time, he’ll be able to help us win games and at the same time grow.”
Ditto for RW Drake Batherson, sent down to Belleville after starting the first two games for Ottawa. Dorion said Batherson is a big part of the Senators’ future.
“We don’t have a more talented right wing coming up,” Dorion said.
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