Evgeni Nabokov isn’t making many friends in the New York Islanders organization and he isn’t exactly earning a lot of respect in the hockey world either. Unless, of course, Nabokov hanging up on Isles general manager Garth Snow really was a misunderstanding.
Yet that seems to be the latest entry in this weekend’s surprising Nabokov soap opera, as NHL.com and other sources report that Snow tried to reach out personally to the netminder after hearing he wouldn’t report to the team from Nabby’s agent Don Meehan.
Ultimately, the back story all boils down to a “he said - he said” matter (albeit a rather amusing one at that). What really matters is whether Nabokov will have a change of heart or not. The Islanders listed him as a healthy scratch during their 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, so Snow and company aren’t necessarily forced to make a decision right away. Chris Botta writes that January 31st - the Monday after the All-Star Game - might be a good deadline for the team to decide whether or not to cut bait on Nabokov.
The chances of Nabokov reporting to the Islanders are pretty low, but we’ll let you know if anything changes As Nabokov Turns.