As we continue with our player report cards, we move on to players that are significantly harder to grade. Sure, the KZB line all got A’s, but that was expected. Vlad Namestnikov, on the other hand, is a bit of a mixed bag. Namestnikov’s line wasn’t sexy, putting up 11-20-31 in 78 games in his first full year as a Ranger while bouncing around the lineup, but mostly in a middle-six role.
Namestnikov’s production will be closely tied to his $4 million salary, and 31 points for $4 million isn’t exactly what you want to see. Comparatively, though, JT Miller, the guy whom the Rangers – more or less – traded for Namestnikov, put up 13-34-47 on a loaded Lightning team while making $5.