There’s a big mess on Long Island and it has to do a lot more with what’s happening off the ice rather than on it.
The Islanders were spurned the last two days by former All-Star goalie Evgeni Nabokov, whom they claimed off waivers on Thursday but has since declined to report to the team. The 35-year-old netminder said yesterday that as of now he is choosing to sit in his living room, although that choice will cost him the rest of this NHL season.
“I think I’m going to stay home for now, I’m sticking with my decision,” Nabokov told ESPN.com. “It’s nothing against the Islanders and their organization. It’s nothing to do with that. 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.”
Well, the Islanders don’t. Not even in the slightest.
“Why wouldn’t he show up? I’m still expecting him,” Islanders owner Charles Wang said of Nabokov in a rare press conference yesterday afternoon before the Isles’ 5-3 loss to the Sabres at Nassau Coliseum. “Flights are booked. If you go into the locker room, the locker stall is prepared, his uniform is prepared. If you look at the notes for [yesterday’s] game, his name is on it.”
Nabokov started this year with in the Russian KHL and on Thursday signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings. But, according to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, because Nabokov was playing in another professional league to start the season, he was forced to clear waivers before being able to report to Detroit.
That’s when the Islanders, third to last in the NHL standings, swooped in.
Now, if he sticks with his decision to not report to the Islanders, he will be forced to sit out the remainder of the NHL season.
“Here is somebody the Islanders want that wants to play [and] has a contract with the NHL,” Wang said. “So, we’re waiting for him and looking forward to having him.”
Over the previous two days, both Wang and Islanders general manager Garth Snow have said they left messages for Nabokov. According to what the goalie said to ESPN.com, those messages never were received.
“He may have tried to reach me but there’s no message from him,” Nabokov said of Snow. “I still haven’t talked to him.”
Snow said yesterday that everything was “status quo,” meaning he is still expecting Nabokov to show up. Nabokov’s agent, Don Meehan, was unavailable for comment last night.
“I dont see why somebody who has this opportunity would not want to play and fulfill his contract,” Wang said. “It’s nuts, right? I don’t understand any of it.”
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The Isles fell to the Sabres in front of 10,120 at the Coliseum in the second game of a home-and-home. After going down early — an Islanders staple this season — they fought back with two Matt Mouson goals, his team-leading 16th and 17th, to tie the game 2-2 at the end of the second. The Sabres opened the third by beating Rick DiPietro with goals from Nathan Garbe and Tyler Myers, matching an Isles goal by Jack Hillen with an empty-netter by Jason Pominville.