OT - Red Wings Reportedly Close to Signing Evgeni Nabokov (EDIT: Possible Terms)

Submitted by hockeyguy9125 on

TSN reporting (along with an explosion of Twitters) that the Red Wings and free agent goalie Evgeni Nakokov are close to terms on a deal.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=350270

However, there is a big snag to this...he would have to clear wavers. I have a hard time believeing he would make it all the way through (Tampa Bay comes to mind as someone in need of a goalie).

For sake of argument lets say it does go through, is this the end of Chris Osgood's career or does he try to get to another team? Do you think it will improve Jimmy Howard's play or will Nabokov actually challenge for the starting role in the playoffs? I really hope not because while he has been a good goalie in the regular season, he is complete dog shit in the playoffs (or Olympics) so I do not want him anywhere near the ice for the Wings in the playoffs.

EDIT: A couple of interesting tweets from Bob McKenzie at TSN

- My guess, and it's only that, is DET and Nabokov have a deal they can live with, but remains to be seen whether contract is legal per CBA

- Guessing there is something in deal to "discourage" other teams from claiming Nabby on waivers, but will it fly with NHL? Just a guess tho.

EDIT 2: From TSN, also being spread around the internet

According to those sources If completed, Nabokov will receive $570,000 for the remainder of the year, which pro-rated works out to roughly $250,000 on the Red Wings cap.

It is very hard to believe, for that money and cap hit, he will make it through wavers to the Wings.

Mr Mackey

January 20th, 2011 at 1:37 PM ^

I don't think Osgood would go anywhere else - this injury could have ended his career (let the HOF debate begin) 

It wouldn't be bad to have Nabokov split time with Howard for now, and hopefully have Howard step up in the playoffs and guide us to the cup. fingers crossed

Yinka Double Dare

January 20th, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^

It's also not that unusual for a goalie to take a while to develop, much moreso than other players.  The first year Hasek was The Dominator everyone remembers him as was when he was 28 or 29.  His previous two years as the second goalie first in Chicago then Buffalo he had SV% under .900 and his GAA was pretty meh.

Clarence Beeks

January 20th, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^

Yep, that is a very good point.  It takes time.  Although, I think it's much more likely that McCollum, rather than Howard, will develop into the Wings' long term starting goaltender.  That's the danger for Howard.  If he takes much longer, he's going to have McCollum breathing down his neck, and I'd put my money on McCollum.

shorts

January 20th, 2011 at 1:40 PM ^

I'm guessing this is a temporary pickup -- Osgood is out for a while after hernia surgery, and Howard just bruised his knee the other day. They probably don't want to risk having no starting-caliber goalie if Howard were to somehow aggravate his injury.

My guess is that Nabokov is the backup for most of the rest of the regular season and then, depending on Osgood's health status, the Wings will choose between the two of them for the playoff roster.

shorts

January 20th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^

Also:

while he has been a good goalie in the regular season, he is complete dog shit in the playoffs (or Olympics) so I do not want him anywhere near the ice for the Wings in the playoffs.

That's just a ridiculous statement. Howard has been involved in ONE postseason, and he won one series while posting a .915 save percentage and 2.75 GAA. That's not spectacular, but it's certainly not "dog shit," especially for a first-year starter. In fact, those numbers are better than what he's done in the regular season this year, in direct contradiction with your comment.

hockeyguy9125

January 20th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^

I am a big fan of Jimmy Howard. He has been so much better than I thought he would be. I think his biggest problem is giving up weak goals at the worst time. It did not happen often which is good, but once he improves that aspect of his game, he should be an elite goalie in the league.

shorts

January 20th, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^

I thought he would end up being a mediocre starter, but he's been quite impressive. I'm curious to see how he performs in the playoffs this year. He did seem a little inconsistent at times -- I was at Game 6 against the Coyotes, and he gave up a fairly weak one from just inside the blue line -- but experience matters with goalies.

BlueInClearwater

January 20th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^

The article doesn't mention stats from his Russian team that he was playing for, and only says he was released from his contract. I'm just wondering whether he wanted out of Russia and back into the NHL or he went over there and stunk it up. I'm going to go with the former considering the NHL is the apex of a hockey career and if the Wings want him I doubt he was a sieve in net. Hopefully he works out better than the Curtis Joseph experiment.

Clarence Beeks

January 20th, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^

I'm going to go with the former considering the NHL is the apex of a hockey career and if the Wings want him I doubt he was a sieve in net.

He was a seive in net.  Stats for the goaltenders for St. Petersburg SKA this season:

Name GP Min GA GAA W L T ENG SO Saves SvPct
Maxim Sokolov 1 60 1 1.00 1 0 0 0 0 39 0.975
Jakub Stepanek 24 1406 47 2.01 11 6 5 0 2 590 0.926
Evgeni Nabokov 22 1230 62 3.02 8 8 5 0 2 492 0.888

thisisme08

January 20th, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^

Hey Goalie, you’re not a goalie you’re a sieve, you’re not a sieve you’re a funnel, you’re not a funnel you’re a vacuum, you’re not a vacuum you’re a black hole, you’re not a black hole you just suck, you just suck, you just suck, you just suck

 

Sry Habit when I see the word "Sieve"

Moofis Footbone

January 20th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^

With all the goalie injuries, and injuries in general, I like this signing.  Based on last years stats he still has game and can help out, assuming Ozzie takes quite awhile recovering from the groin/hernia surgery.

detrocks

January 20th, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^

I know that Howard's been out for the last couple of games, but thought that it was more of a day-to-day thing.    Does the move to sign Nabokov signal that it's more serious?  

BrownJuggernaut

January 20th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^

Nabokov's Postseason stats:

40-38 W-L .913 Save Pct 2.29 GAA

And looking at his regular season stats, his postseason stats are actually pretty much the same (only notable difference is the W-L). I don't think you can call him a complete failure/choke artist/sieve in the playoffs. This guy did have JOE THORNTON, PLAYOFF GHOST, playing in front of him. Just food for thought.

Full Disclosure: Bruins fan who still harbors some bad feelings towards Joe.

MGoBlue96

January 20th, 2011 at 8:38 PM ^

would not be picking up Nabokov to be the number one goaltender for the playoffs. That would still be Howard. Nabokov is certainly an upgrade over Mcdonald as a back up goaltender. Not that Mcdonald has been horrible, the Wings having 6 or  7 regulars out certainly has been the bigger problem lately.

Clarence Beeks

January 20th, 2011 at 2:27 PM ^

However, there is a big snag to this...he would have to clear wavers. I have a hard time believeing he would make it all the way through (Tampa Bay comes to mind as someone in need of a goalie).

Nabokov and Tampa Bay were close to working something out back before Christmas, but it didn't happen, so Tampa Bay went after Roloson.

Thurman Merman

January 20th, 2011 at 2:34 PM ^

It's easy to say that Nabokov has failed in the past in the playoffs, but has he had the Wings' level of defense in front of him?  That's the argument that has been made about Ozzie that he's benefitted from having these guys on the ice; maybe that pays dividends for Nabokov too.

jaster

January 21st, 2011 at 2:21 AM ^

That's simply not true.  Not only has it been the defense in front of him, it's been the entire team, starting with Thornton.  He has struggled and made mistakes of his own accord, no doubt, but his "lol biggest choke artist ever" reputation is overblown.  He has never lost a playoff series in which the team in front of him has managed to score 2 or more goals per game.  Not a stat his biggest detractors expect to see.  It is the team that folds.

His problem isn't that he is a choke artist, it's that he lets in occassional soft goals at a rate that is higher than most goalies of his ability.  On the other hand, he's one of the quickest and most talented goalies in the world.  Enter inconsistency.  With Nabokov, you get both extremes, never knowing which one you'll get at any given time.

Clarence Beeks

January 21st, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^

His problem isn't that he is a choke artist, it's that he lets in occassional soft goals at a rate that is higher than most goalies of his ability.

With any team, but especially one as fragile as San Jose, that is a big problem.  I'm not, at all, saying he's not a good goaltender; I'm just saying he's not someone I'd want on my team.  I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on him when it really matters.

On the other hand, he's one of the quickest and most talented goalies in the world.  Enter inconsistency.  With Nabokov, you get both extremes, never knowing which one you'll get at any given time.

True.  He is also small, which has a tendency to hurt him when combined with his quickness and tendency to get out of position.

hockeyguy9125

January 20th, 2011 at 2:55 PM ^

but, its not like San Jose's defense was terrible all those years. Its not like the Red Wings defense is doing amazing right now. I think its a reach to say it was because of who he played with. All Presidents' Trophy jokes aside, you have to be a good team to win that much in the regular season, and his high level of play just did not continue into the second season.

Hair Raid Offense

January 20th, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^

Osgood's career is NOT over. He's just hurt and they need a quick fix at goalie instead of bringing up Grand Rapids guys every other day.

 

Osgood will lead the Wings to the Cup ATLEAST one more time before he retires.

hockeyguy9125

January 20th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^

Tuesday night in Pittsburgh...the Red Wings had their 1st, 2nd, and 4th string goalies injured. I do not think I have ever seen that before.

FYI, if the Wings lost two goalies in the same game...Todd Bertuzzi is the emergency goalie...which is funny

Milty87

January 20th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^

Didn't the Flyers lose three or four goalies over the course of the season last year?  Interesting about Bertuzzi.  Where did you hear that?  During the game where Howard got hurt, I remember the announcers talking about "a player" having to get dressed if MacDonald went down, but I don't remember them mentioning a name.