The Nabokov Novelle

**Dean Youngblood** · January 23, 2011, 3:37 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6051280

**GoalieGuild** · January 23, 2011, 3:51 PM

There are some really surprising quotes in there.

He clearly isn't displaying signs of foresight.

What's the point of reporting?? Uhh...maybe use it as a chance to get back into game shape. Snow isn't going to treat him with any respect and offer him a chance to play elsewhere if he doesn't report.

Nabby says himself he needs time to get back into game shape. Is he going to do that sitting on his butt? Or practicing with some non-NHL players?

Use the Islanders as "practice" and put yourself out there for other teams to see you. If he can't even look past the whole "I want to play for a contending team" then he's somewhat missing the point of everything I've been saying. Which is very surprising.

Bad decision making all around.

He can't keep worrying about JUST this season and nothing else. At some point he's going to have to realize this season could be a bust and reporting to the Islanders is the best way to set himself up for success for next season.

**Bomm Bastic** · January 23, 2011, 5:16 PM

I agree with everything you're sayin', Justin. But something Nabby was quoted as saying did make me go "Hmmmm...???"

Why do the Islanders want him? DiPeitro is their guy for the next 50 yrs, that young kid is playing rather well (name escapes me...Poulin?), and they're no where near a playoff run.

So, why...???

**Dean Youngblood** · January 23, 2011, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by Bomm Bastic

So, why...???

To show the NHL that they are actually "trying" to compete and not simply tanking. That is why

**GoalieGuild** · January 23, 2011, 5:59 PM

Nathan Lawson is out for a few weeks with an MCL strain. DiPietro is still trying to come back, most likely isn't 100%. Kevin Poulin needs to be carrying the workload in the AHL. Isles definitely need a goalie. That's why they put in a waiver claim. I guarantee you that Snow had all of the good intentions (as he did with Roloson) of setting Nabby up for a chance to play elsewhere for next season. That's part of the goalie code. Tampa Bay came a knockin' for Rolie, Snow gave him the opportunity by making the move. He would have done something similar for Nabokov I'm sure.

Not so much anymore.

The funny thing is that Nabokov can reverse his fortunes by getting on a plane and showing up in NYI.

**mister_mcgoo** · January 23, 2011, 6:00 PM

Originally Posted by GoalieGuild

There are some really surprising quotes in there.

He clearly isn't displaying signs of foresight.

What's the point of reporting?? Uhh...maybe use it as a chance to get back into game shape. Snow isn't going to treat him with any respect and offer him a chance to play elsewhere if he doesn't report.

Nabby says himself he needs time to get back into game shape. Is he going to do that sitting on his butt? Or practicing with some non-NHL players?

Use the Islanders as "practice" and put yourself out there for other teams to see you. If he can't even look past the whole "I want to play for a contending team" then he's somewhat missing the point of everything I've been saying. Which is very surprising.

Bad decision making all around.

He can't keep worrying about JUST this season and nothing else. At some point he's going to have to realize this season could be a bust and reporting to the Islanders is the best way to set himself up for success for next season.

See I am baffled why you guys keep arguing this line of thought and saying things like 'he's missing the point' or that he has 'bad decision making' or that he 'can't keep worrying just about this season' etc. Why the hell can't he? You act like you have spoken with him directly and have intimate knowledge of his exact motivations and desires! Or worse yet, you are ascribing how you personally would behave in the situation to someone you don't know at all, that's why I'm so confused by all these posts. What if he just wants to play for Detroit and that's it? In that article, he basically says what I've been arguing all along, he has zero interest of playing for the next-to-last place team in the league...what is so wrong with that? Its called free will and choice people and its a beautiful thing, Nabby is chosing to exercise his in this case and that's about all you can say on the topic

**MT319** · January 23, 2011, 6:48 PM

Yea and what about the part where he left SJ, who is as elite a contender as anybody, simply because they didn't offer him enough money and instead goes to the KHL..then turns around after he doesn't want to play in the KHL anymore and signs for pennies of the dollar in Detroit just because "he wants to play only for a contender"...I don't pity the guy at all he wanted to be a selfish jackass and sell-out San Jose cause htey didn't give him enough money (who again is as elite a contender as anyone) to go play in the KHL and now wants to complain about it after the fact that he only wants to play for a "contender" when he signs for pennies on hte dollar in Detroit only to have the Islanders turn around and claim him...can't have it both ways...and it was his "choice" to leave a "contender" that facilitated this whole series of events in the first place...so yea free will is a beautiful thing when the greedy guy gets bit in the ass through his own greed...if he wanted to play for a "contender" so badly then he shouldn't have left San Jose..I understand him not wanting to play for the Isles as by the time he shakes off the rust the season will be over, but if that was his top priority he shouldn't have signed a 4 year deal in the KHL in the first place..sucks, but you can't have it both ways.

**Bomm Bastic** · January 23, 2011, 7:07 PM

I dunno...something's weird here. There has to be a better reason for him bailing on the KHL other than an outside shot at playing for Detroit.

He bails on the NHL after SJ because he wasn't offered enough money. Then after garnering the appropriate $$$ from the KHL, bails on them to accept pennies on the dollar on the off chance of playing for Detroit.

Very odd behavior.

**mister_mcgoo** · January 23, 2011, 7:24 PM

Originally Posted by MT319

Yea and what about the part where he left SJ, who is as elite a contender as anybody, simply because they didn't offer him enough money and instead goes to the KHL..then turns around after he doesn't want to play in the KHL anymore and signs for pennies of the dollar in Detroit just because "he wants to play only for a contender"...I don't pity the guy at all he wanted to be a selfish jackass and sell-out San Jose cause htey didn't give him enough money (who again is as elite a contender as anyone) to go play in the KHL and now wants to complain about it after the fact that he only wants to play for a "contender" when he signs for pennies on hte dollar in Detroit only to have the Islanders turn around and claim him...can't have it both ways...and it was his "choice" to leave a "contender" that facilitated this whole series of events in the first place...so yea free will is a beautiful thing when the greedy guy gets bit in the ass through his own greed...if he wanted to play for a "contender" so badly then he shouldn't have left San Jose..I understand him not wanting to play for the Isles as by the time he shakes off the rust the season will be over, but if that was his top priority he shouldn't have signed a 4 year deal in the KHL in the first place..sucks, but you can't have it both ways.

WTF are you smoking? The Sharks, despite their strong regular season records are a far cry from 'contenders' in the playoffs, they choke every single year come April, its like clockwork. You might wanna rethink that theory

**MT319** · January 23, 2011, 8:22 PM

In order to "choke" one must be expected to do well and therefore is favorited to win/go deep in the playoffs hence making them a "contender." Therefore the San Jose Sharks are absolutely a playoff contender. Furthermore, the Sharks (after winning the presidents trophy the year prior) were once again the best team in the Western conference for the second straight year and made it to the western conference finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks and beat Detroit of all teams specifically just to get to that same Western Conference Final...so again the San Jose Sharks are absolutely a "contender" just as much as any other elite team in the NHL and beat the very team Nabakov is now trying to sign with in last years playoffs to make it to the Western Conference finals...therefore San Jose is just as much of a "contender" this season as Detroit is if not even more so...end of story.

**mister_mcgoo** · January 23, 2011, 8:31 PM

Originally Posted by MT319

In order to "choke" one must be expected to do well and therefore is favorited to win/go deep in the playoffs hence making them a "contender." Therefore the San Jose Sharks are absolutely a playoff contender. Furthermore, the Sharks (after winning the presidents trophy the year prior) were once again the best team in the Western conference for the second straight year and made it to the western conference finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks and beat Detroit of all teams specifically just to get to that same Western Conference Final...so again the San Jose Sharks are absolutely a "contender" just as much as any other elite team in the NHL and beat the very team Nabakov is now trying to sign with in last years playoffs to make it to the Western Conference finals...therefore San Jose is just as much of a "contender" this season as Detroit is if not even more so...end of story.

circular and flawed logic, but whatever, you seem intent to bash Nabby for offenses real or imagined so bash on, i could care less, I have no love for the guy at all, I just respect a man's basic right to say 'yes' or 'no' when offered a job, that's the extent of my argument in this thread

**smoothfun** · January 23, 2011, 8:52 PM

I'm with McGoo on this one , nothing to do with liking/disliking , agreeing/disagreeing with Nabbies' decission , this is his work and he's making a choice about it.
Whether it's right or wrong doesn't much matter.
I actually agree with most that the right thing to do is to report for practice in Long Island and get back in the game.remember though , we all make wrong choices in life and have to live with them!

**Bomm Bastic** · January 23, 2011, 9:43 PM

Listen, I was always a supporter of Nabby - always have been. But this maneuvering of his is making me question my judgement. Punking off his KHL team for personal gain is not indicative of a man w/ great integrity. Then it's all in vain because he goes on to squander an opportunity to regain some respect and work toward a starting position on a legit team via the Islanders.

However, I would also agree w/ McGoo; as an adult Nabokov has the right to act like a douche bag. Absolutely, Lord knows I've been guilty on more than one occasion.

**islefan31** · January 23, 2011, 10:05 PM

Just read this on Islander point blank.

Although there were credible reports from Newsday as early as Thursday stating the Islandersâ€™ interest in Evgeni Nabokov, his representatives never reached out to the club during the waiver process, a pair of sources have confirmed to Point Blank.

Nabokovâ€™s agent, Don Meehan, never contacted the Islanders to request the professional courtesy of not claiming the goalie off the waiver wire. There were no calls to suggest that Nabokov would not report to the Islanders if they selected him. There was only word, sent out via the national hockey media, that Nabakov wanted the opportunity to be a No. 1 goaltender somewhere.

So the Islanders, with one injured goalie (Nathan Lawson), one still attempting a comeback (Rick DiPietro) and one top prospect better served in the minors (Kevin Poulin), claimed Nabokov. He did not report. Nabokov is within his rights to blow off the Islanders, but he could have handled this better.

Two other issues regarding Nabokov: calling a member of the media and taking a shot at a team - "I was like, Wow, what"s the point"? he told Pierre Lebrun of ESPN about the NYI claiming him - before speaking with Garth Snow was bad form from a solid professional. Also, the goalie told Lebrun that he hasn’t skated in a while. He hasn’t played since November. He is 35. When, exactly, is he going to be ready to help the Islanders or any other NHL team? It’s almost February.

**grindin griers** · January 23, 2011, 10:29 PM

Wow. Came back to the thread and I am glad to see that there are people out there now arguing the other side of things too. I have always agreed with idea by Justin how Nabby can build back his reputation and skills and aim for next year. I think that when you are getting up in Nabby's age though the opportunities are running thin and its obvious there is a great opportunity out there for him this year. If a team that was in the same division or high in the rankings with Detroit and claimed Nabokov I would be totally fine with it, but when a non-contending team like the Islanders do it, is when it bothers me. They basically forced him into doing this, and they had the right to too. Just like Nabokov has all the right to not report. He came back to the US for family reasons. Obviously knowing that there were going to be possibilities of playing in the NHL again.

MT319 I think you are completely out of line here. SJ are the ones that changed their gameplan to go cheap on the goalie (even tho it still wasn't that cheap for what they got IMO). Yes at the time he could have signed for a contending team like SJ for cheap similar to what he is trying to do now but the times have changed and Nabby has all the right to change his mind as well. I don't blame him one bit.

Goalie Post is now available for your Apple/Android devices!

Thread: The Nabokov Novelle

Thread Tools

Nabokov Confirms He Will not report

Posting Permissions