Evgeni Nabokov was claimed off waivers on Saturday by the New York Islanders after he signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Many people were puzzled by the Islanders' decision, since Nabokov had said before that he wanted to sign with a Stanley Cup contending team, and let's face it, the Islanders are nowhere near that stage.
Most predicted he wouldn't report, and lo and behold, he didn't.
What Nabokov should realize, however, is that he comes off looking pretty bad in this situation. Sure, the Islanders look like jerks too, but they were well within their right and they did need a goaltender. Nabokov, however, looks like a selfish kid, and makes professional athletes look bad.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand where Nabokov is coming from. He is 35 years old and time is running out for him to win a Cup. But he made the decision to go play in KHL this year, and he knew (or his agent at least should have) that because of that, if he wanted to come back to the NHL, he would have to clear waivers if he signed with anyone.
And he should have known teams would probably pick him up, since both Marek Svatos and Kyle Wellwood ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Faiz-Ali Virji
Evgeni Nabokov Claimed By New York Islanders: Why He Should Grow Up and Report
January 26th, 2011 by Faiz-Ali Virji Leave a reply »
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