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Posts Tagged Evgeni Nabokov

Scott Gomez Finally Lights Lamp

Feb 10

Posted by Eddie in Media, News | No Comments

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Stop what you’re doing. Stop the presses, because for the first time in over a calendar year, Montreal’s Scott Gomez scored. Thursday night against the New York Islanders, Gomez was able to slap home a deflected puck on the power play past sieve goalkeeper Evgeni Nabokov. It was his first goal since February 5, 2011. He’s played 53 regular season games during the scoring drought. With Gomez earning stealing $7 million from the Canadiens this season, that was a very expensive goal.

The Habs were able to beat the Islanders 4-2. His goal with 10:10 remaining in the game put his team ahead 3-0, and was assisted by Rafel Diaz and Chris Campoli. Besides Gomez, Max Pacioretty accounted for the rest of the scoring when he recorded a hat trick. His third goal came via empty net with one second left. His goal did affect one person not at the game, the person who runs this website can now rest easy- or pick another player to track a scoreless drought.

The standings in the packed Eastern Conference is getting tighter. Montreal stands in 11th place with 53 points. They are only three points clear of last place in the East (Carolina with 50), and are nine points back of Toronto for the final playoff spot.

Check out the Islanders/MSG call of the goal below:

 

Because it is Montreal, I don’t want any Francophone’s coming after me for not providing them with a french video:

 

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Detroit Red Wings may target backup goalie at trade deadline

Feb 7

Posted by Chris in Soap Box | No Comments

The recent injury to Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard may have exposed the biggest need for the team coming into the trade deadline at the end of the month – a backup goalie.

Howard admitted recently that he will miss more than the two games that were initially reported thanks to a broken finger sustained against the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday in a 4-3 shootout victory for the Wings. While Howard said there is no timetable for his return, he believes that it could be as many as two weeks, but should be less than the four-to-six weeks doctors estimated.

“I haven’t been told two weeks,” Howard said, “but when they said four-to-six weeks (to heal), I was like there’s no chance I’m going to be out for six. Two weeks sounded right.”

Through the first half of the season, Howard shouldered an incredible load with 44 starts in 54 games. Howard leads the league with 32 wins and has solid stats this year with a 2.03 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.

His backup goalie, Ty Conklin, hasn’t fared as well. In nine games started this season, Conklin has looked inconsistent at best with only three wins with a 3.40 goals against average and a .878 save percentage – some of the worst stats of his career. Granted, with Howard playing so well, Conklin has been relegated to the bench for the most part, but Conklin has missed out on opportunities and failed to capitalize when he does get the nod.

After Howard’s injury last Thursday in Vancouver, Conklin got the start on Saturday night in Edmonton. He was pulled after the first period after surrendering three goals on nine shots against. Joey Macdonald, the Red Wings’ third string goalie, had a strong showing in relief of Conklin and helped the Wings fight back and earn a point in a shootout loss to the Oilers.

That strong showing earned Macdonald the start last night against the Phoenix Coyotes where Macdonald again looked good, but his defense did not. The Wings ended up losing their second straight by a score of 3-1.

The Wings have a .727 winning percentage when Howard starts. That percentage falls to .333 when Conklin starts. Macdonald has looked good in his brief NHL appearances, and he has been playing well for the Grand Rapids Griffins with 11 wins and a 2.63 goals against average along with a .913 save percentage. Still, the Wings may opt to upgrade their backup situation if better options become available before the trade deadline.

Rumors have linked the Wings with Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, whose $570,000 cap hit would still give the Wings plenty of room to make additional moves. The Wings attempted to sign Nabokov to a deal last year before the trade deadline, but the Islanders claimed his rights off waivers. Nabokov wants to play for a contender, and as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season the Islanders will likely try to move him. Columbus Blue Jackets backup Curtis Sanford has also been mentioned as a possible target.

If nothing else, Howard’s injury will give the Wings a long look at their backup goaltending situation and allow coach Mike Babcock and general manager Ken Holland to assess their needs in net. For the first time in a long time, the Wings have significant salary cap space to make moves at the trade deadline. While fans would love the Red Wings to pursue a game-changing target such as Shea Weber, Zach Parise or even Alexander Semin, Holland stated that he will be active at the deadline, but will likely look to add complementary pieces to his team instead of pursuing big names. Could one of those complementary pieces be a backup goalie?

 

 

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Fantasy Friday

Dec 23

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

The Hot List:

Daniel Alfredsson (forward): Two goals and five assists along with a plus-five over the last week. Alfredsson now has 25 points in 29 games for the Senators and is tied for third on the team in points. Looks like the captains still got it.

Olli Jokinen (forward): Owned in 51 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, Jokinen now leads the Flames in points with 29 in 32 games – including two goals and four assists to go along with 12 shots on goal over the past seven days. Jokinen has 13 points in his past 10 games. If he is available in your league, grab him while he’s hot.

Blake Wheeler (forward): Wheeler appears to be on pace to post personal best stats in points and assists this season with the Winnipeg Jets. Wheeler has five points in his last five games. However, Wheeler only has five goals total this year, so don’t expect him to light the lamp often if you pick him up.  

Matt Niskanen (defense): Niskanen tallied one goal and four assists over the last seven days, but the important stat to pay attention to is that he had that goal and three of his assists on the power play. With Penguins defenseman Kris Letang on the shelf thanks to concussions symptoms, Niskanen should get more power play time for the Penguins.

Evgeni Nabokov (goal): His inclusion on this list is mainly due to the lack of options that the Islanders currently have in goal. Supposed starter Rick DiPietro is injured (go figure) and backup Al Montoya is out with a concussion. Nabokov desires to play with a contender and will be a free agent at the end of the season. If he still has the goods, now is the time to showcase and try to force a trade to a contender later in the season. Keep an eye on his performance level while the Islanders are hit with the injury bug between the pipes.

 

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Evgeni Nabokov Activated from Injured Reserve

Dec 13

Posted by EB in Fantasy, News, Rumors | No Comments

The 14th placed New York Islanders have activated goaltender Evgeni Nabokov off injured reserve. With very little fantasy owners owning him, he may be worth looking into for some depth.

The 36 year-old Nabokov began the season with a horrible 1-5-0 record in 8 games started. Of the time played, Nabokov has a rather high 2.83 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. So why in the world would any fantasy owner be interested in him?

Nabokov’s career has been played with the San Jose Sharks where he won the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year in 2000-2001. Since then, his stats have not been Patrick Roy like, but still a solid number one net-minder. In his 571 games played he has a winning record of 294-183-29-51 with a 2.39 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Furthermore, his playoff stats have been 2 games over .500 with 40 wins and a 2.29 goals against average with a .913 save percentage.

OK, the stats have been pumped but why is Nabokov a potential steal in fantasy pools? Nabokov is a solid net-minder despite lacking a team in front of him with the New york Islanders. He may not get as many wins as some other goalies but he will definitely get a decent save percentage by facing an average of 31.1 shots per game (21st in the NHL). The Islanders are still young and developing, they can only get better as a team. The real possibility however comes in the possibility of a trade.

Last year Nabokov made headlines by being signed as a free agent by the Detroit Red Wings. However, due to his play oversees, Nabokov needed to clear waivers before re-entering the NHL. This is where the New York Islanders came to pick him up and tried to work out a trade. Nabokov on the other hand refused to play, eventually was suspended and sat out the remainder of the year. Well he is back, the Islanders still need a goaltender and the Red Wings may be willing to trade. Backup Ty Conklin has only seen 4 starts, a 1-3-0 record with a 3.26 goals against average. Ouch!

Conklin may not be a trade interest for the Islanders, however, the Red Wings do have 22 year-old Thomas McCollum. McCollum is young, currently playing in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. His stats are not quite there but the Red Wings have belief in his potential. Not needing a goalie for quite some time with 27 year-old Jimmy Howard, on top of possibly willing to trade winger Dan Cleary, the Red Wings may be interested in Nabokov once again.

Nabokov is not going anywhere for a while, not until he starts posting a few wins. Be on the lookout for buzz about a possible trade. Once that starts to hit the headlines Nabokov might be of interest.

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Nabokov fails to report to Islanders

Jan 23

Posted by Chris in News | 3 Comments

Free agent goaltender Evgeni Nabokov followed up on his promise from this past weekend by failing to report to the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Nabokov, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings late Thursday evening, was claimed off waivers on Saturday by the Islanders. However, Nabokov reacted to the claim by stating that he would not report to the Islanders to fulfill his contract. Reports differed throughout Saturday as to whether Nabokov would in fact recant on the contract and boycott the Islanders. Apparently Nabokov wasn’t bluffing.

“I think I’m going to stay home for now, I’m sticking with my decision,” Nabokov told ESPN.com on Sunday.

The Red Wings initially signed Nabokov to help their goaltending situation now that backup netminder Chris Osgood will be sidelined until mid-March after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia. According to the rules of the current CBA, since Nabokov was coming back to the NHL from the KHL, he would have to go through waivers before he could become a member of the Red Wings.

Nabokov’s contract carries with it a cap hit of $250,000, which made him a prime candidate to be claimed off of waivers.

If Nabokov continues to defy his contract, the Islanders have several options. First, the team could appeal to the NHL and ask them to “toll” Nabokov’s contract. This means that Nabokov will have to fulfill his contract with the Islanders at some point – whether it be this season or in the future. If the Islanders decided to go this route, Nabokov would not be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 as he still essentially owes the Islanders the terms of the contract that he originally signed with Detroit.

Another option for the Islanders includes trading Nabokov. However, things get a bit dicey in this scenario. Before a trade can occur, the Islanders would first need to notify the NHL that they intend to trade Nabokov. If that happens, the NHL then goes back to any other team that originally put in a claim for Nabokov to see if they are still interested in claiming him. If they are, Nabokov then becomes that team’s property.

However, even if no other team put in a claim for Nabokov after he signed with Detroit, he must still clear waivers again before the Islanders can trade him. That means that any of NHL’s 29 other teams – including Detroit – would be able to claim Nabokov. If several teams claim him at this point then the team lowest in the standings receives his services for the remainder of the season.

The last option simply involves the Islanders placing Nabokov back on waivers. This option is more of a good intentions move toward Nabokov than anything else. But seeing as how Nabokov would essentially have to clear waivers twice if the Islanders tried to trade him, this could in fact be a viable option.

But to make matters worse, Nabokov has a no movement clause on his contract, which Detroit put in place to deter teams from putting in a claim on Nabokov. This means that Nabokov can not be traded or placed back on waivers without his permission. Although, judging by Nabokov’s luke-warm reception to the news that the Islanders had claimed him, he might be more than willing to waive his no movement clause to go to a contender.

“It’s nothing against the Islanders and their organization. It’s nothing to do with that,” Nabokov told ESPN.com. “It’s just that I’m at the point in my career where I want to help a team win in the playoffs. I don’t see how I could help the Islanders or what I could do for them. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. And I hope they understand that.”

What Nabokov had to say rings clear with many NHL fans. Why would the Islanders of all teams place a claim on Nabokov? New York is not in direct competition with Detroit, nor are they even in the playoff picture where they could pull off a move like this to prevent Detroit from getting better. And with all of the regulations regarding a trade, the Islanders are unlikely going to be able to get something in return for Nabokov to help them build for the future. In fact, if they try to trade Nabokov, they will likely lose him for nothing.

Islanders GM Garth Snow has the ball in his court now and will look to resolve this situation quickly, whether that involves tolling the contract, pushing forward with a trade or trying to talk Nabokov into fulfilling his obligation on Long Island.

“He had his heart set on going to Detroit, obviously,” Snow said. “I told him I respect that, but he’s a New York Islander now and we’d love to have him part of our group.”

How do you think the Islands should or will move forward with Nabokov’s contract over the next few days? Should he fulfill his contract with the Islanders or should they waive him again?

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Red Wings Close to Signing Evgeni Nabokov

Jan 20

Posted by Matt in News | 4 Comments

Evgeni Nabokov

Will Evgeni Nabokov be wearing the winged wheel by this weekend?

In a deal that is sure to shock everyone in Hockey Town and the hockey world, it appears as though Evgeni Nabokov is close to signing a deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

Nabokov, the former San Jose Shark, became a free agent after the Sharks decided not to offer him a new contract. Seeking more money than any NHL team was willing to commit for a goaltender, Nabokov left the NHL to head back to his native Russia, signing a deal to play with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

In Russia, Nabokov suffered a fate all too familiar to his playoff appearances with the Sharks. His stats were nothing remarkable, his play mediocre at best, and he was eventually released in December, 2010. It was noted that his release was a mutual agreement with management and rumors suggest it may have had something to do with his family not being able to adjust to the new living situation.

The Red Wings would greatly benefit from the signing, as their injury troubles continue. Chris Osgood is out at least six weeks after having surgery to repair a sports hernia, and Jimmy Howard was recently hurt after taking a shot off the knee. Even Grand Rapids Griffins goalie Thomas McCollum injured a finger after being called up by the Wings. Howard is expected back tonight against the Blues, but signing Nabokov would provide great insurance in case of future injury.

In order to join the Red Wings, and the NHL, Nabokov must first clear waivers.

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Nabby off to Russia, Sabres sign Neidermayer

Jul 7

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Fans of SKA St. Petersburg hope Evgeni Nabokov can make saves like this for them beginning this fall.

Fans of SKA St. Petersburg hope Evgeni Nabokov can make saves like this for them beginning this fall.

The last few days have been quiet in NHL Free Agency. There was a splash made today when news broke that former San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov has signed a six-year deal worth $24 Million with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. As EB first speculated last week, this wasn’t much of a surprise because it was an option should Nabby not catch on with a club in the NHL. He’s spent all 10 of his seasons in San Jose, which drafted him in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Draft. Despite his disappointing showing in the conference finals against Chicago, Nabokov has one of his best seasons when he posted a 44-16-10 record with a 2.43 GAA and .922 save percentage. He also played in the Vancouver Olympics with Russia, where he had a 2-1 record.

In news stateside, Buffalo has added depth up front as they signed veterean Rob Neidermayer. Neidermayer is 35 years old and has been in the league for 16 seasons. He spend last season with New Jersey where he had 10 goals and 12 assists in 71 games. His career statline reads 181 goals, 269 assists in 1082 regular season games. His contract was reported to be worth $1.15 Million for one season.

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Free Agency Starts at Noon Eastern

Jul 1

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

First and foremost, happy Canada day to those viewers from abroad.

Today starts the first day of free agency period at high noon eastern. Top players like Ilya Kovalchuk, Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Nabokov are only few names of many that are out there for general managers to persuade to play for their clubs.

The wheeling and dealing is expected to be good this year with many big names out there. HWB will keep you updated with recaps of some of the big names taken, how it will impact the team signed to, and our overall impression of the whole event.

Sit back and enjoy the fireworks!

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Evgeni Nabokov to Philly?

Jun 28

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks may be switching conferences to play for the Eastern conference Champions Philadelphia Flyers. That is of course if he doesn’t jump the pond to go play for the Russian KHL league.

The Flyers, who struggled last year in net due to injuries and poor play, look to add a solid number one goalie. Nabokov at the older age of 34 brings concerns to some fans, however with a 2.39 goals against average and a .912 save percentage over his 10 year career should bring calm to the doubters.

As of right now the possibility is still a rumor. Yet like many rumors, there usually is some truth to the talk. The Flyers could definitely use a goalie who they could rely upon, but you still need to question why not go with goaltenders Brian Boucher or Michael Leighton who carried the team to the Stanley Cup Finals?

It will be interesting to see what all pans out, especially with Nabokov having an option to play in Russia. Throw in that the Flyers have to decide what to do with their current 3 goalies who are unrestricted free agents (Caron Sebastian, Ray Emery & Michael Leighton), the decision will become even more difficult.

If Nabokov is signed by the Flyers, expect either a trade involving Boucher to back up for the Sharks and the Flyers potentially signing a younger of the two Leighton, or Nabokov and Boucher splitting time (more common now in the new NHL) and a bidding war for Leighton who I believe to be coming into his prime.

The next question though is who will the Sharks goalie of tomorrow or goalie of this year be? Could there be a Calder trophy nominee Jimmy Howard waiting in the shadows? (I still think Howard should have won over Tyler Myers)

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San Jose Sharks

Sep 19

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 3 Comments

High expectations for the San Jose Sharks in the regular season often leads to brutal disappointment in the post season, or at least that’s been the trend the last several years. Last year, the Sharks trounced the competition and strode into the playoffs as the NHL’s best team only to be ousted by Anaheim in the first round. The bitterness from that loss resulted in a slight overhaul in San Jose, but the expectations are just as high rolling into this season. Nothing short of a Stanley Cup victory will be acceptable, and the pieces are in place for that to happen.

The Sharks made one of the biggest off-season acquisitions by trading Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to the Ottawa Senators for sniper Dany Heatley. This move finally gives San Jose a dominant scoring threat night in and night out. After scoring 56 goals in 2005-06, Cheechoo’sjoe-thornton(2) production slowly declined over subsequent years and he couldn’t be counted on to be the wing man for Thornton. Heatley, however, is a two-time 50-goal scorer and still managed 39 goals in an “off” season last year with the Senators. Alongside center Joe Thornton, who has contributed 60 or more assists in each of his four seasons with the Sharks, Heatley could easily find his way into the 50-goal scorers club this season.

Players like Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Clowe supplement the secondary offense and are all capable of putting up 20 goals and 40-60 points a season. Setoguchi, who came out of nowhere and chipped in a stunning 31 goals in his first full season with the Sharks, might even find himself on the right side of the top line with Thornton and Heatley. If this happens, look for Setoguchi to improve his production from last year’s 65 points.

And don’t forget about the likes of former captain Patrick Marleau, who seems to be somewhat of an enigma in recent years. While Marleau can usually be counted on for nearly 30 goals and 70-80 points a season, trade rumors consistently pop up regarding Marleau’s departure and many media outlets have suggested that Marleau isn’t the least bit phased about losing the captaincy. As a possible free agent at season’s end, Marleau might be trade bait if his production doesn’t live up to expectations or if the effort isn’t consistent night in and night out.

Goaltending should again be quite impressive this season with Evgeni Nabokov in net. The 34-year-old goaltender won 41 of the 62 games that he started last season for San Jose and finished the season with a 2.44 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. Expect the Sharks to ride Nabokov hard between the pipes again, and expect a similar outcome. Nabokov is a vital part of San Jose’s success this season.

The problem with this team, however, seems to be effort and leadership. Each spring as the Sharks enter the playoffs, the team fails to take the next step to the level of play required night in and night out in order to hoist the Cup. There aren’t any players who get out on the ice and lead by example. Stripping Marleau of the captaincy was a great move by head coach Todd McLellan. Hopefully this forces someone to take the reins and be a real leader on this team and lead them to the Promised Land in June.

The Sharks have all the right pieces, and barring a huge meltdown or major injuries, the Sharks could easily swim their way through the regular season to become President’s Trophy winners again. But the Sharks have been there and done that. It’s now or never to step up and go all the way. The NHL’s biggest choke artists have something to prove this year, and they are reloaded and ready to begin their quest.

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