The 27-year-old forward scored 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 65 games with the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators last season, including six points (four goals, two assists) in nine regular-season games after he was traded to Colorado on Feb. 24. He scored five points (four goals, one assist) in 12 postseason games .
Selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round (No. 27) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Namestnikov has scored 189 points (83 goals, 106 assists) in 425 regular-season games with the Avalanche, Senators, New York Rangers and Lightning. He has scored nine points (five goals, four assists) in 41 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Namestnikov is the nephew of former Red Wings forward Vyacheslav Kozlov, and Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman was Tampa Bay GM when the Lightning drafted him.
"It's awesome," Namestnikov said. "I mean, I grew up in Michigan. I was always around the team when my uncle played. So I'm familiar with the area. I skate every summer with the guys, so I'm familiar with all the players here, and I'm excited to join the team.
"I've known [Yzerman] for a long time. He drafted me in Tampa, and definitely it helps when you're familiar with the GM. That definitely came into play when I made my decision, and I'm happy with worked out here and I got to sign with Detroit."
The Red Wings were 17-49-5 last season and have not made the playoffs since 2016.
"I understand the situation, but I want to be a part of the rebuild," Namestnikov said. "I want to be a part of the Red Wings going forward. So I'm going to come in and have a good [offseason] here, try to come in, help the team as much as possible and go from there.
"It still doesn't feel real, but it in a way, it does feel like coming home. I mean, this is my summer home for many years, and I grew up here. So it definitely feels like it's like a coming home. As I said before, I'm beyond excited, and hopefully we can get it started here soon."
