Islanders' Snow: No-Show Nabokov 'Out Of Our Hands'
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow said Wednesday the team did everything the right way in its attempted acquisition of Russian goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
The Islanders suspended Nabokov on Tuesday for not reporting to the team after he was claimed off waivers from another NHL team, the Detroit Red Wings.
"The player made the decision not to report," Snow said before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. "We did everything the right way. It's out of our hands."
Snow said there had been internal discussions about improving the team through the waiver process before goalie Nathan Lawson strained his MCL in a game on Jan. 21.
Once it was announced Lawson would miss up to two weeks, "we needed to do it," Snow said.
Nabokov, 35, signed a one-year contract with Detroit last week. Nabokov, who played with the San Jose Sharks for parts of 10 seasons, had spent this season with SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian KHL and hadn't yet played for Detroit.
The NHL's collective bargaining agreement states that anyone who plays in a professional league before signing an NHL contract must clear waivers.
Once he signed his one-year deal with the Red Wings, he became available to the Islanders.
New York owns Nabokov's rights and could keep him out of the NHL for all of next season should Nabokov not report.
Nabokov has been disappointed that he won't be joining the Stanley Cup-contending Red Wings. The Islanders are far out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Will Nabokov ever report to the Islanders? Sound off in the comments below...
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
