Islanders Claim Nabokov

The New York Islanders ended up making the move to claim Evgeni Nabokov on waivers on Saturday morning, as one of the lowest teams on the NHL totem pole, taking on the deal that the veteran Russian goalie signed with the Red Wings on Thursday night.

Nabokov signed a pro-rated 1-year deal on Thursday night, worth $570,000 annually, which worked out to be about $250,000 for the rest of the season.  The deal does include a no-movement clause, which shouldn't become an issue, since the Islanders are in need of a quality number one goalie, possibly giving DiPietro a rest.

The question then becomes whether or not Nabokov accepts his new assignment, as there is a suggested scenario that he will not report to his new club, which would force his hand, either not to play in the NHL or a number of other scenarios.

Of course, with only a couple of weeks until the second waiver draft, his fantasy value does come into question.  With the Red Wings, Nabokov did have a great potential for points for the rest of the season, but now with the Islanders, he will have to rely on a lot of his own skills, moreso than the team in front of him, which doesn't have a great deal of potential for wins.  Will Nabokov get taken in the draft, a couple of weeks from now?