Projecting the Red Wings’ trade deadline: What should they do with Vlad Namestnikov?

After breaking down where Detroit could send defenseman Nick Leddy, I think it’s more appropriate to debate what might happen to forward Vladislav Namestnikov at the trade deadline instead of who takes him.

On pace for the most goals since he played for Tampa Bay, Namestnikov has been solid wherever Detroit puts him. Personally, I’m a big fan of him at left wing with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, but I agree with swapping him out to get Filip Zadina out of his slump. Namestnikov has proven he can score no matter where he goes in the lineup, and that’s certain to draw eyes from cash-strapped teams looking for depth scoring.

But there’s a catch. Well, there’s always a catch, but this one’s a bit more important: will the payment suffice moving Namestnikov to a different team?

Because he’s a fan favorite, the nephew of Russian Five legend Slava Kozlov. For a fanbase so clung to its former glory, that relationship and his love for the fanbase has made him beloved.

That love might outweigh the going rate for Namestnikov: in the past two trades, he netted just a fourth round pick.

Now it’s possible that Namestnikov could go for a playoff run and return to the Red Wings (shades of Antoine Vermette). I guarantee Detroit GM Steve Yzerman would love to sign him to a $2.5 million deal for a couple of seasons, if not for depth than as a mentor to the many forwards heading up the pipeline next season.

A cheap depth deal like that could also line up with early playoff attempts in the Red Wings’ rebuild. Having an experienced veteran on that team will be important for the young guns to learn the most from that experience. He also provides a benchmark for prospects to meet to crack the lineup.

Rookies need to earn their spots in the lineup. Throwing a guy in too early like Michael Rasmussen and Filip Zadina hasn’t worked — in fact you could say it hindered their development. If you can’t beat Vlad out of the lineup, you shouldn’t be in the Show just yet.

To me, I’d rather keep a guy like Namestnikov around, because the likelihood that Detroit finds a replacement player with a fourth-rounder is slim. There’s no guarantee that a player will pan out, and Detroit already has a clogged pipeline (I’m counting the days until Jonatan Berggren finally gets his callup).

There’s also a hidden angle that could keep Namestnikov in Detroit, one related to the draft in a way you wouldn’t expect: his brother is a prospect in the 2022 NHL Draft.

The 219th-rated North American skater, Max Namestnikov is a 5-foot-8 center 11 years younger than Vlad. His numbers for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting aren’t eye-popping (six goals and 17 assists in 40 games played), but he’s a guy that loves playing defense. That’s exactly the kind of mentality you want from a deep draft pick.

While it’s not a lock that he will get picked, something tells me that the Red Wings’ nepotism will strike again (*cough Kienan Draper cough*). I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though, because I’m sure Yzerman and Co. have seen Max grow up, lighting it up for Detroit Honeybaked. If anyone’s taking a risk on him, it’s probably Detroit.

I would guess Yzerman uses the Red Wings’ fifth- or seventh-rounder to grab Max, and I think he could add some minor league fluff that will keep Grand Rapids going. There’s also the off chance that he pans out, a massive W for Detroit. With COVID shutting down major juniors multiple times, we haven’t seen much from Max and he hasn’t reached his potential. Playing for the hometown team might bring something out of him. And after all, it’s only a seventh-round pick. Not the end of the world if it doesn’t hit.

That’s not to say that Detroit will keep Vlad Namestnikov around solely to draft his brother — that would be silly. But I do think it’s a little extra oomph that helps keeping him around make sense.

It would be nice for the Red Wings to grab another draft pick by dealing Namestnikov, but Detroit doesn’t necessarily have to. We saw Yzerman hang on to a similar guy in Luke Glendening last season. And with the Red Wings still competing for a playoff spot right now (no matter how much cynics like myself count them out), they don’t need to trade him off just yet.

You don’t make winning hockey teams by selling the farm every time you come up short. Detroit needs to live by that mindset at the deadline.