Nabokov Goes To The Islanders [UPDATE: Shit Hits the Fan]

Earlier this morning it was confirmed that goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who was signed by the Red Wings for dirt cheap but had to go through waivers, was indeed claimed off of waivers by the New York Islanders.

Lookin' good?

On one hand this is great for Nabby, as he gets to make a respectable comeback to the NHL. On the other hand however, one can safely say he won't be participating in the playoffs this year as he will remain with the Islanders for the remainder of the season. His contract includes a no trade clause, which to be broken would require Nabokov agreeing to go through waivers again, so a trade is out of the picture.

But how does this effect the Islanders goaltending?


Make the Jump...




Well, to answer that question in a picture, here's Rick DiPietro.

Fra-gee-lay. Must be Italian.

A Christmas Story joke is still acceptable in mid-January.

The Isles can only benefit from adding Nabby to their roster given the inconsistency of injury-prone Rick DiPietro throughout his career. Nabokov can also add a veteran influence to the play of 20 year old Kevin Poulin, who has showed much promise in each of his 4 starts.

So really, if Nabby can just manage to bring a positive attitude towards the Islanders current situation, and if the Islanders give him a decent amount of starts (no reason they wouldn't) then everyone should be happy.... Well, almost everyone...

Two injuries in one post? Really Rick? Unacceptable.

UPDATE: Well shit.


Nabokov is reportedly not reporting to the Islanders, as confirmed by his agent Don Meehan. Meehan also said last week in an interview with the Detroit Free Press, that Nabokov would report to whatever team claimed him, in the situation that he was claimed.

In response to Nabby talking through Meehan, Islanders GM Garth Snow has said that he will not respect the statement by Don Meehan, and is waiting to hear directly from Nabby. This situation could get very ugly very quickly.