Vladislav Namestnikov

Vladislav Yevgenievich Namestnikov (Russian: Владислав Евгеньевич Наместников; born 22 November 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey center for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 27th overall by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and has previously played in the NHL with the Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. Namestnikov was selected 20th overall by the London Knights in the 2010 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) entry draft. He was also selected 11th overall in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) draft by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, but he ultimately chose London after deciding he did not want to play in Russia. Namestnikov scored 68 points in 68 games with the Knights in 2010-11 and was rated one of the top players available in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, eventually being selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 13 March 2012, the Lightning announced that they had signed Namestnikov to a three-year, entry-level contract. He played in 60 games with the London Knights that season, scoring 22 goals and 70 points. He also appeared in six OHL playoff games in 2011, recording one goal and five points.