New Jersey Devils: 5 Free Agents To Watch In Return-To-Play Playoffs

Vladislav Namestnikov

We need to see more from Vladislav Namestnikov to trust he could make another jump in his career. It seems like we’ve been waiting for a while for him to make “the jump”. The former 1st-round pick has also been moved around a lot in recent years, going from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the New York Rangers to the Ottawa Senators and finally ending up on the Colorado Avalanche. He just never seemed to fit in New York, so they dumped him off to Ottawa, who then moved him at the trade deadline.

He’s actually been pretty good for the Avalanche in a very short amount of time. He has six points in nine games in Colorado. He’s scored four goals in six games in the month of March, showing he can find his scoring touch when surrounded by talent. Right now, the Avalanche are playing him on the third line with some power-play time.

Namestnikov could be a really interesting name for the Devils to target, and if he continues his stellar play during the playoffs, the Devils might feel he’ll be the right investment. His years of up-and-down play will scare off some teams, so the Devils could come in and get him on a bargain. They also have his countrymate Nikita Gusev, so that could help convince him to play in New Jersey.

Either way, if he’s able to make things happen in Colorado, and maybe even move up to the second line, it could be a sign of things to come for Namestnikov. The Devils have to find good wingers for Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. With Namestnikov being just 27 years old, he might be worth a shot.