Evgeni Nabokov
January 22, 2011 by staff
Evgeni Nabokov, (AFP) – Russian goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has signed with the NHL Detroit contender, but rather a resident joined the NHL cellar on Saturday after being claimed off waivers by the New York Islanders.
The keeper 35 has signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings on Thursday after playing for SKA St. Petersburg of Russia’s Kontinental League Hockey.
But before you join an NHL team, league rules require that players from other professional leagues ballot, in which all the other teams in the league has the right to claim for the same financial conditions.
With veteran goalie Rick DiPietro Islanders and injured Dwayne Roloson traded to Tampa Bay earlier this month, New York has been using a pair of rookie goaltenders and happy to pull Nabokov when the opportunity arose.
With only 15 wins in 46 games, the Islanders’ third worst in the 30-team NHL with 37 points, which does Edmonton and New Jersey.
The St. Louis Blues have suffered similar setbacks in trying to land talent KHL earlier this month, losing center Kyle Wellwood to San Jose and Marek Svatos right in Nashville.
Nabokov has won 44 of 70 games last season with San Jose, who reached the NHL playoffs in the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Chicago.
After spending parts of 10 seasons with the Sharks, Nabokov signed a four-year contract with St. Petersburg and won eight of 21 games with an 88.8 percent save ratio and 3.02 goals against average before being released last month.
The Red Wings, whose 29 wins in 47 games are the same for the second in the NHL with 64 points in third place overall, need help with Jimmy Howard netminding harassed by a knee injury and Chris Osgood hernia surgery during the last week.
“The Islanders are terrible and I’m not sure why they did that,” said Osgood.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved
(AP) – Evgeni Nabokov left Russia for the chance to play with the Detroit Red Wings. Instead of landing in Hockeytown, the veteran goalkeeper will take an unexpected detour on Long Island – perhaps.
Nabokov lost his chance to join the Red Wings on Saturday, when the New York Islanders claimed him off waivers.
While it would have dreamed of making a long playoff with Detroit as a foil, Nabokov will now play the strings with New York, which entered Saturday with the third-fewest points in the NHL.
“It was a good opportunity for a quality keeper with a proven track record,” the Chief Islanders Garth Snow told The Associated Press.
However, several reports surface on Saturday that Nabokov would not report to the Islanders, but Snow said he had not been told.
“That’s good news for me,” said Snow, who added that he expected a call back from Nabokov. “We have a player that has a standard player contract and we look forward to having join our organization “.
A message left by Nabokov’s agent, Don Meehan, was not immediately returned.
Islanders Nabokov caught two days after the goalkeeper from 35-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings. He spent this season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL and the Russian Federation had not yet played for Detroit. NHL collective bargaining agreement provides that any person who plays in a professional league before signing an NHL contract must clearly exceptions.
Snow said the Islanders have a ticket to fly from Nabokov Oakland, California, New York on Sunday, when the Islanders face the Buffalo Sabres in a match in the afternoon.
Nabokov’s new agreement contains a non-displacement.
“When I put my request, I did not intend to claim for him to pass by any means, Snow said.
This is the third time in recent weeks that the player back to the NHL from the KHL was snatched off waivers. The St. Louis Blues have been assaulted twice by the process they lost the right wing Marek Svatos to the Nashville Predators and center Kyle Wellwood to San Jose.
The Islanders (15-24-7) struggled in goal because of the absence of injured Rick DiPietro and trade Dwayne Roloson to Tampa Bay this month. New York was under way with rookies Kevin Poulin and Nathan Lawson in place of DiPietro, who missed several games recently because of persistent knee problems and a case of the flu.
Lawson was forced to win in Buffalo Friday night, after a sprained knee. The 20-year, Poulin played the last two periods and got the win. DiPietro is in the fifth season of a landmark agreement 15 years with the Islanders.
Nabokov was 8-8-5 with a 3.02 GAA and a percentage of 0, 888 in 22 games with St. Petersburg. He became a free agent in December after being released by the KHL club in the first season of a four-year contract.
Last season with San Jose, Nabokov was 44-16-10 with a 2.43 GAA and helped the Sharks reach the Western Conference finals against eventual Stanley Cup Champion Chicago.
After being selected in the ninth round of the NHL draft in 1994, Nabokov moved to a 293-178-29-37 mark with an average of 2.39 and a percentage of 0 .912 in parts of 10 seasons with the Sharks. He was 40-38 with a 2.29 GAA and a percentage of 0, 913 in 80 playoff career.
Detroit has been looking for help because the backup goalie Chris Osgood has hernia surgery last week and should be until March. A bruised right knee has bothered No. 1 goaltender Jimmy Howard. Howard returned to the lineup Thursday night in St. Louis after missing two games and made 26 saves in the victory of the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.
Only the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey have fewer points than New York.
“I have not thought much about, but the Islanders are terrible and I’m not sure why they did that,” said Osgood, a former goalkeeper for New York.
The Islanders were burned by the waiver rule in January 2009 when they tried to put the goalie Wade Dubielewicz in the organization after playing for Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL. After signing an agreement with New York, Dubielewicz was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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