The Detroit Red Wings have traded forward Vladislav Namestnikov to the Dallas Stars for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Red Wings are trading Vladislav Namestnikov to the Stars for a fourth round pick, @KevinWeekes reported on ESPN.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) March 21, 2022
Namestnikov’s solid defensive presence made him a great fit on the team’s top line. His 13 goals and 25 points in 60 games added good depth to Detroit’s offense and likely played a key role in the trade. Dallas nets a solid bottom-six forward with plenty of defensive pedigree, while Detroit scores another pick for their rebuild.
A fourth-round pick might not seem like much of a needle-mover, but it’s better than nothing for a player on an expiring deal. In addition, Namestnikov went for a fourth-round pick last season, making this a fairly cromulent deal overall. Like the Stecher trade, it adds another building block to the draft.
This one’s especially unique in that it comes in 2024, which is around the time that the Red Wings should be pushing for the playoffs. In a sense, it’s a way to play the long-game. Should Detroit need a Namestnikov-esque player in their future, they can use that fourth-round pick as leverage.
