By reaching an agreement, both sides avoid an arbitration hearing, which was scheduled for Friday.
In signing Namestnikov, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman met the needs of another Tampa Bay RFA, and now only two remain - sniper Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Nikita Nesterov.
Namestnikov was drafted 27th overall by Tampa Bay in 2011 and reached career highs across the board last season with 14 goals and 21 assists in 80 games.
“The science regarding CTE, including on the asserted ‘link’ to concussions that you reference, remains nascent, particularly with respect to what causes CTE and whether it can be diagnosed by specific clinical symptoms,” the commissioner wrote in his reply to Senator Blumenthal, according to John Branch of The New York Times.
"The relationship between concussions and the asserted clinical symptoms of CTE remains unknown," Bettman added in a 24-page document filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, where the league is fighting an ongoing class-action lawsuit filed by many former players alleging they weren't informed about the long-term effects of head injuries.
The commissioner also cited the need for scientific consensus rather than relying on "speculation and fear mongering."
Blumenthal wrote a letter to Bettman last month requesting a response by July 23.
The Senator posed nine questions to the commissioner, including, "Do you believe there is a link between CTE and hockey?" and "Do you dispute that the documented CTE of former NHL players, like Derek Boogaard, is linked to injuries sustained while playing in the NHL?"
Boogaard, a former NHL enforcer, was diagnosed with CTE following his death in 2011. The disease can only be identified posthumously.
Bettman has long denied a link between concussions suffered while playing hockey and CTE, a disease scientists say is caused by repeated blows to the head.
The Arizona Coyotes shocked many by hiring 27-year-old John Chayka - the youngest in NHL history - as the team's new general manager in May.
But they did so with a refreshed approach, handing the keys to a rebuilding team to a young mind with an emphasis on analytics.
Since Chayka took over, Arizona drafted defenseman Jakob Chychrun 16th overall and also signed blueliners Alex Goligoski and Luke Schenn, revamping a defensive corps with players Chayka believes fit within his model of success.
In a sit down with NHL.com's Dan Rosen, Chayka stated defensive play is about transition, rather than man-on-man defending.
"The philosophy is fairly simple. It's when we don't have the puck, recover the puck as quickly as possible," Chayka said. "There are all kinds of different forms where you can gain possession of the puck, some of them are physical, and some of them are non-physical, so I think you need a blend to have both.
"Once you get the puck back, it's to transition the puck. Defense isn't about defending, it's about getting the puck in the forwards' hands and getting the puck moving in the offensive zone. It's about transitioning. That's the philosophy and that's been the theme behind the moves that we're making, let's get players who can get pucks back and get pucks up to forwards in an efficient and effective manner."
The Coyotes boast one of the top - if not the best - prospect pools in the NHL, and while the future is promising, improving defensive play is a must, as the Coyotes ranked 28th league-wide last year in goals against per game, allowing 2.98.
The depth defender is guaranteed a $650,000 NHL salary in the second year, but his contract will carry a two-way provision for this upcoming season, Wharnsby reports.
His arbitration hearing was scheduled for Aug. 3.
The former fourth-round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs appeared in 27 games for Nashville last year, chipping in two assists.
The Vancouver Canucks don't plan to rush 2016 first-round pick Olli Juolevi.
President of hockey operations Trevor Linden joined TSN 1040 on Tuesday and admitted that while he likes what he sees from the young defenseman, he might not join the big club next season.
"His ability to process the game and make the right play is impressive," Linden said, according to Ben Kuzma of TSN 1040. "Our plan for him is London."
While Juolevi might have to endure another season of junior, Linden says he expects to sign the 18-year-old to an entry-level contract in the coming weeks.
Juolevi amassed nine goals and 42 points in 57 regular season games, to go along with 14 playoff points in 18 postseason games during his first taste of North American Hockey with the London Knights last year. He also added seven points in four games en route to the Knights' Memorial Cup win.
Moore joins the club as a college free agent, after going undrafted while playing the last three seasons at the University of Denver.
The 21-year-old has shown offensive prowess in his three years with the Pioneers, having amassed a combined total of 47 goals and 120 points in 121 games.
"It's nice to get this done and just to know that I'll be around for awhile," DeKeyser said, according to Bill Roose of DetroitRedWings.com. "For me and my fiancee - she's also from Michigan - it's just a good spot for us to be in with family all around the state and that kind of thing. It's a big event coming up for us, so it's really cool how this has worked out before the wedding, to get that done and be comfortable and not have to worry about it.
"I don't want to go anywhere else and I was pretty happy that we were able to work with Kenny (Holland) and get a deal done. So I'm just excited about it."
Under his new contract, DeKeyser will make more than twice his previous annual average of $2.187 million, even despite an 11-point drop-off in production last season, which he attributes to one glaring reason.
"This year my point total was down, I had 20 points, but led the D in goals, I had eight goals so I thought that was a pretty good accomplishment," DeKeyser said. "I didn't have any power-play time this past year so sometimes it's hard to pick up those extra points when you're not playing on the power play. Whether I'm on that or not it doesn't matter, I'm just going to do my role, five-on-five and penalty kill, and if I do get a chance on the power play I'm comfortable playing that as well. I don't know if I'll get to 40 or 45 points without playing the power play, but it's a possibility, that's for sure."
DeKeyser did hit a career-high eight goals this season, but is one year removed from his career high in points, when he hit 31 in 80 games.
Despite finishing in the bottom three of the NHL standings the last three seasons, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot feels that the club is still on the verge of something great.
The team has added Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi up front and despite dealing Taylor Hall, have added Adam Larsson, and with the possibility of more moves to come on the back end, Talbot feels the Oilers are trending in the right direction.
"I don’t think we’re that far off from making the playoffs, to be honest with you," Talbot told Sportsnet.ca. "I think one more piece [on defense] and we’ve got all the talent up front we've always had and added more talent via free agency and the draft. When you shore up the back end, which is what Peter's trying to do, as long as I do my part, I think we could definitely battle for a playoff spot this year and next year and go from there."
The Oilers finished last season with the 26th-ranked offense, converting an average of just 2.43 goals per game, meanwhile their defense fared even worse giving up a 27th-ranked 2.95 goals against per game.
Of course the odds will be stacked against the Oilers to make such a 180 and jump into the postseason, but Talbot feels the Hall trade is evidence of an overall positive trend that will make the club better immediately and moving forward.
"It’s tough to give away a guy like Taylor, but the return for a good defenseman is high this summer," said Talbot. "You have to give up something to get someone good, and I think we did that. I’m not sure Peter’s done yet, so we'll see what other pieces he can put in place here to point us in the right direction."
The Oilers have not made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season when they lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The New York Rangers have signed defenseman Sergey Zborovskiy, a third-round pick from last summer, to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Zborovskiy returned to the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League last season, his second in North America, and chipped in with eight goals and 25 points.
The 6-foot-4 defender is eligible for one more season at the major junior level.
theScore is ranking all 30 NHL jerseys. We're counting down by six each day this week.
24. Winnipeg Jets
The team's original design since rejoining the league, the Jets jersey features a great creative concept with lots of little details that pay homage to the Canadian Air Force.
However, let's be honest, a third jersey concept reminiscent of the earlier iteration of the Jets would be a fantastic addition to the club's wardrobe.
23. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche should be praised for having gone nearly their entire 20-year history without making any drastic changes.
Their burgundy and blue remain an original color scheme not seen anywhere else in the league. A little more white, and removing the gray line in the socks - which doesn't really appear anywhere else - could provide a bit more pop.
22. Tampa Bay Lightning
If you don't like the Lightning's uniform, you better get used to it as the club has played 207 games over the past two seasons with no signs of slowing down.
Their regular sweaters are simple and appealing. As for their alternate "Bolts" jersey, we'll just forget those exist.
21. New Jersey Devils
The Devils design is simple with a color scheme that's clean and sharp.
Perhaps a new take on the "NJ" logo is warranted, though, to provide a fresh look to a jersey that's remained largely untouched for years.
20. Washington Capitals
After going through a complete overhaul to a teal and white jersey and then solid black from 1995-2007, the Washington Capitals returned to their roots in 2007 for a modern remake of their original red, white, and blue threads with which they entered the league.
While their current jerseys are sharp, giving the eagle on the shoulders a more prominent role on the chest could be an interesting take.
19. Florida Panthers
Given the heights the young and talented Panthers are beginning to hit, the organization made the decision to re-brand.
The team has turned away from its original logo, electing instead for a re-designed Panther shield and adding a solid line through the center of the jersey.
Not too shabby, though a "Spacey in Space" concept would also have been a great decision.
