Nabokov claimed by NYI, refuses to report, suspended

[Guest Heaten]

Like Matt_Attack said Yashin and Radulov. He has a legit legal NHL contract with the NYI now, they can force him.

Not even close to the same situation. Yashin and Radulov had 12 year and 3 year contracts respectively. Nabokov took a 1 year deal to play 4 months at 8 times under his current market value. No way NHL/NHLPA force Nabokov to honor that contract: None.

If they did, boom, a new loop hole opens up! Teams can sign all-star players valued at $8million for league minimum. All they have to do is find an accomplice. This would open a new can of worms... one that NHL/NHLPA does not want.

[redwingcapt 52]

I think it is to prevent a team from getting a cheap (pro-rated) player for half a season.

Say that Bob Forward (fictional player) played for the Fighting Hamsters, but they didn't have enough cap space to meet his $4m/season demands. They only had $2m. If they just didn't sign him and he, as a free agent went to Uganda to play with the Galumphing Turtles for their season (which ends in January) for $3m, and then signed with the Hamsters for $4m (but since half of the season was over, it would only cost them $2m), he'd get $5m, and the Hamsters would get a $4m player for half price for the rest of the season and the playoffs. It gets them in under the cap, but his value is more than that so it circumvents the cap.

At least that's how I understand it. Hopefully if there's more to it, someone else will chime in.

the Fighting Hamsters are my 3rd favorite team in the league!

[Wingzman91 134]

Agreed, the NHLPA would never allow it or let it happen.

I think people are confusing RFA and UFA here, a team who has rights to a player, ala Hudler, when a contract is signed should have a contract honored.

These are snips from the CBA to affirm the thought process that Nabokov's contract is for this year only.

Exhibit 1 - Standard Player Contract :

If the Player fails to report to such other Club, he may be suspended by such other Club and no salary shall be payable to him during the period of such suspension.

Atricle 1 - Definitions:

ACTIVE ROSTER - the group of players signed to a SPC and who are not on the Injured Reserve List, Injured Non Roster, designated Non-Roster, or Loaned; includes players who are on a Conditioning Loan and players who are suspended. The Active Roster exists from the day before the start of the Regular Season, and expires at the end of the team's last NHL Game in a League Year, and has a minimum size of 20 players and a maximum size of 23 players.

As long as he remains on the active roster,(No Move Clause), they can suspend and not pay him, they don't own him, as soon as they added him to the active roster they started the contract, Hudler, never started in the NHL until a year later, so the contract carried over.

Edit:

CONDITIONING LOAN - the assignment of a player on a team's Active Roster for conditioning reasons; does not remove the player from the team's Active Roster.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Wingzman91

[Wingzman91 134]

Some more stuff, this is from the NYPost:

"Islanders general manager Garth Snow says goalie Evgeni Nabokov hung up on him shortly after the veteran goalie was claimed off waivers on Saturday.

Snow reached out to the 35-year-old Nabokov shortly after the Islanders claimed him from the Detroit Red Wings - the team with which Nabokov signed a one-year contract on Thursday. Snow said when he identified himself on the phone, Nabokov immediately hung up.

Snow finally talked to Nabokov on Sunday and was told that Nabokov didn't realize who he was speaking to when abruptly ending the call.

Nabokov failed to report to the Islanders, clearly disappointed that he won't be joining the Stanley Cup-contending Red Wings. Instead he is now under contract with the Islanders, who are far out of the Eastern Conference playoff race."

[Dimaline312000 51]

UPDATE:

NABOKOV SPEAKS

Evgeni Nabokov is sticking by his initial decision to not join the New York Islanders, the veteran goalie said Sunday.

"I think I'm going to stay home for now, I'm sticking with my decision," Nabokov told ESPN.com from his home in San Jose. "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."

The Islanders claimed Nabokov off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the team that he signed with Thursday. Because he began the season in the Russia's KHL, the rules required that he clear waivers before trying to join the Red Wings.

"I understand the rules," said Nabokov, who signed a one-year, $570,000 deal with the Wings. "We're not stupid, we knew what was going on before we made the decision. But I made this decision because the goal was to play with Detroit."

On Saturday, Islanders general manager Garth Snow told ESPN.com that he wanted to talk to Nabokov before deciding his next move and said he had left Nabokov a message to call him.

"I want to clear something up," said Nabokov. "Everybody wrote that Garth Snow left me messages. I have no messages on my phone from him. I didn't talk to him. So I want to clear that up. He may have tried to reach me but there's no message from him. I still haven't talked to him."

Reached via text message Sunday, Snow told ESPN.com things were "status quo."

So what now?

The Islanders can suspend Nabokov for not reporting. They can also put him back on waivers with the intention of trying to trade him, although it's highly doubtful he would clear waivers before a trade could be done. Nabokov also has a no-movement clause. It's complicated.

"I don't know what's going to happen," said Nabokov. "I just hope they will understand where I'm coming from. That's all."

Nabokov said he hasn't skated in a while and needs time to get ready.

"Detroit was willing to give me that time," said Nabokov. "I'm not sure if other teams would be ready to give me that time. So that's why I made my decision. Detroit was willing to wait while I got ready. With the Islanders, if I went there, I would need a week or two to get ready and then the season would almost be over."

So for now, he doesn't plan on reporting to the Islanders.

"Right now, that's right," Nabokov said. "I was surprised they picked me up. I was like, 'Wow, what's the point?"' http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6051280

Good for you Nabokov, stand up for what you beleive and stand up for what you want to do. His resoning is clear and I quite agree with it. After he had the time to get ready for to play and got back up to speed with the Islanders the season would just about be over and he would have only played a few games thus not really providing any value or good use. It doesn't sound like Nabokov will be able to come to Detroit unless they make a trade and I'd hate to see the Wings lose a Draft pick for a goalie like Nabokov when it could be put to use with drafting another player to make Detroit a deeper team. I'd rather see the Wings make another attempt with another goalie or trade a current player. The waiver rule really needs to be changed to avoid all of this mass confusion from happening again.

[Mors 201]

Good for Nabokov.

This isn't just about being claimed by a perennial bottom feeder, it's about being claimed by one of the most poorly managed franchises in all of professional sports. How can anyone blame the man for not wanting to deal with the consistently bad decisions made by Garth Snow and Charles Wang? Of all the teams to possibly be claimed by, the Islanders are definitely a nightmare for any player.

[VM1138 1,921]

Nabakov did a good job defending his actions and I think he cleared things up considerably as to what's been going on the past couple days in this drama. It really makes Snow look worse, though. It seems like Snow is just not bothering to contact Nabakov and expecting him to show, not willing to give an inch.

Interesting that the Wings were willing to "give him time" to get ready. How much, I wonder?

Also, it's frustrating to read all this now. If, prior to being put on waivers, his agent had said something like "He wants only to play for Detroit, and will need X number of weeks to prepare before starting", I bet fewer teams would've considered claiming him.

[e_prime 1,936]

Like Matt_Attack said Yashin and Radulov. He has a legit legal NHL contract with the NYI now, they can force him.

I still think that Nabokov and his agent, along with the NHLPA can argue that his "legit legal contract" was signed with the Detroit Red Wings, and that while the Islanders can suspend him, there is no precedent for the "tolling" of a waiver acquisition for the following season.

Here are the Yashin and Radulov situations:

Yashin -- 1998-99: Yashin was holding out because he wanted a raise from the Sens in the final year of his contract. He held out. The Sens suspended him. He tried signing a contract with a Swiss team. The IHL suspended him until his situation in Ottawa was resolved. After the season, an NHL arbitrator refused to grant Yashin FA status, ruling that Yashin owed the Sens the final season of his contract, if he did return to the NHL. He did and was subsequently boo-ed everywhere. On draft day he was traded to THE ISLANDERS. ...and we all know how that worked out.

Radulov -- July 2008: Although Radulov was still under contract with the Nashville Predators for one more season, he signed a three-year deal with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL. Radulov had previously notified the Predators organization of his desire to play in Russia, stating that he was being offered better conditions. Immediately after the announcement, the Predators, NHL, and IIHF all released statements emphasizing that Radulov's contract obligated him to the Predators through the 2008–09 season and that signing with a team in Russia was a direct violation of an agreement made the previous day between the NHL and all international hockey leagues to respect players' existing contracts. After the IIHF ordered that Ufa void Radulov's contract, Ilya Kochevrin, vice-president of the KHL, argued that Radulov was signed on July 5, before the agreement was made on July 10. While the contract remains disputed, the IIHF suspended Radulov from international play on as investigations continued, it was lifted soon enough as it appeared there was no legal ground to suspend Radulov.

After giving Radulov a September 1 deadline to notify his intentions to return to Nashville, the Predators suspended him, on September 2, without pay for the 2008–09 season.

Radulov’s NHL contract has been suspended, which means that when... and if... he returns to the NHL he still will owe Nashville one season.

He has since extended his contract with Ufa through the 2013 season.

---

EDIT: Heaten and Wingz said this already and expanded however,

Have there been any waiver holdouts of note prior to this situation?

Edited January 23, 2011 by e_prime

[Z and D for the C 712]

Just think, if we do eventually somehow end up with Nabby, we'll pretty much have the 2 players with the coolest (full) names in the NHL. Valtteri Filppula and Evgeni Nabokov. COME ON

[Casey 145]

If the Isles have any brains at all, they'll waive Nabby while they can- their image keeps taking shots, and would only get worse if they suspended him.

[nate94gt 134]

If the Isles have any brains at all, they'll waive Nabby while they can- their image keeps taking shots, and would only get worse if they suspended him.

its a tough situation.

clearly the islanders did what they thought was best for them. I understand that.

nabby SHOULD have just came out and said "i want to play for detroit or another contender this season, dont claim me."

if he comes out and says that, then the team that claimed him were doing it to f*** nabby and detroit, and they would look bad, IMO.

Nabby is acting kind of selfish though, unfortunately. we'll just have to see what happens next. It is funny though how he said . "I was surprised they picked me up. I was like, 'Wow, what's the point?"'

[esteef 2,679]

Interesting that the Wings were willing to "give him time" to get ready. How much, I wonder?

Right? I think he's just using the "time to get ready" now to scare potential claimers away should he go back on waivers. It ain't over yet!

esteef

[dragonballgtz 273]

Not even close to the same situation. Yashin and Radulov had 12 year and 3 year contracts respectively. Nabokov took a 1 year deal to play 4 months at 8 times under his current market value. No way NHL/NHLPA force Nabokov to honor that contract: None.

If they did, boom, a new loop hole opens up! Teams can sign all-star players valued at $8million for league minimum. All they have to do is find an accomplice. This would open a new can of worms... one that NHL/NHLPA does not want.

Same deal here. He has a legal binding contract, he does not want to honor it so they can force him to play next year. This does not open up any loop holes all this does is enforce rules that are already in place.

I don't even understand how you think this can open up loop holes.

Edited January 23, 2011 by dragonballgtz

[nate94gt 134]

Right? I think he's just using the "time to get ready" now to scare potential claimers away should he go back on waivers. It ain't over yet!

esteef

the interesting thing is that he said he wanted to compete as a starter. however, the odds of him being a starter in detroit, knowing detroit/babcock, are pretty slim. And if detroit said they were going to give him time to get ready, then he wouldnt be starting.

or am i confused?

[Krystal 41]

the interesting thing is that he said he wanted to compete as a starter. however, the odds of him being a starter in detroit, knowing detroit/babcock, are pretty slim. And if detroit said they were going to give him time to get ready, then he wouldnt be starting.

or am i confused?

I don't think you're confused. I was thinking about that too. If Detroit were to give him "time to get ready" though, I think it's more along the lines of us weaning him into the system and not just chucking him into the starting position ASAP as I'd imagine the Islanders would do with the injuries they've already got in goal.

Perhaps warming up from relief for Jimmy, to a legit 1A and 1B tandem? I'm kinda grasping at straws here, but that's how I'm reading it from Nabby. He wants a chance to shine, Detroit likely said that when he's ready, he'll get a shot to get in there and mix it up - but he knows Detroit isn't going to 100% rely on him the minute the contract went through.

[vladdy16 2,154]

This is a tough call for me - on one hand, we all know Snow was well within his rights to claim Nabby. On the other hand, it was obvious Nabby wanted to play with a contender, not a bottom-feeder. If you let players dictate where they want to play, that leaves out a TON of teams at this point. Phoenix would have folded long ago. (Not that that is necessarily a bad thing) And to me it wasn't that long ago the Wings were in the very same position - you would be hard pressed to find someone who said they actually wanted to play in Detroit. Our beloved Red Wings may very well have folded in the 70s or early 80s for lack of players. If NY decides to honor Nabby's wishes and waive him, that sets a dangerous precedent for the future.

I don't see a solution where everyone comes out of this feeling good, but it wouldn't break my heart if Evgeni ended up in Detroit.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

What a slap to the face to the Islanders.

[dragonballgtz 273]

This is a tough call for me - on one hand, we all know Snow was well within his rights to claim Nabby. On the other hand, it was obvious Nabby wanted to play with a contender, not a bottom-feeder. If you let players dictate where they want to play, that leaves out a TON of teams at this point. Phoenix would have folded long ago. (Not that that is necessarily a bad thing) And to me it wasn't that long ago the Wings were in the very same position - you would be hard pressed to find someone who said they actually wanted to play in Detroit. Our beloved Red Wings may very well have folded in the 70s or early 80s for lack of players. If NY decides to honor Nabby's wishes and waive him, that sets a dangerous precedent for the future.

I don't see a solution where everyone comes out of this feeling good, but it wouldn't break my heart if Evgeni ended up in Detroit.

That's just it people are forgetting that he had his chance to play for a contender this year. He priced himself out of that opportunity when he didn't want to take a price cut. He was free to choose any team he wanted and he didn't lower how much he thought he was worth. Now he is stuck with the consequences of that decision.

the interesting thing is that he said he wanted to compete as a starter. however, the odds of him being a starter in detroit, knowing detroit/babcock, are pretty slim. And if detroit said they were going to give him time to get ready, then he wouldnt be starting.

or am i confused?

If he outplayed Howard I think he could of got the starting job. That's all Babs keeps saying, whoever plays good plays

Edited January 23, 2011 by dragonballgtz

[brett 1,029]

I think if nabby came to detroit he would play 50/50 with jimmy and whoever is better by the end of the season will start the playoffs. It would def be sick if he some how made it here. hes a proven goalie

[zombi 43]

Apparently, he's definitely not going..

Edited January 23, 2011 by vladdy16
Sorry - long article already posted on same page

[TheDetroitRedWings 286]

Does anyone else think it's a lock that we sign him in the offseason once he gets his 'free agent' status back? I'm thinking it's a for sure thing.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Does anyone else think it's a lock that we sign him in the offseason once he gets his 'free agent' status back? I'm thinking it's a for sure thing.

That's if he even gets it back.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Does anyone else think it's a lock that we sign him in the offseason once he gets his 'free agent' status back? I'm thinking it's a for sure thing.

I don't think it's a lock. I still think we'll bring Larsson over. Although, I'd love to see John in a Wing's uniform!

[Original-Six 254]

Snow reached out to the 35-year-old Nabokov shortly after the Islanders claimed him from the Detroit Red Wings - the team with which Nabokov signed a one-year contract on Thursday. Snow said when he identified himself on the phone, Nabokov immediately hung up.

lmao....

well i guess that lays to rest any questions about him playing for the Islanders.

[Konnan511 1,736]

lmao....

well i guess that lays to rest any questions about him playing for the Islanders.

And if you kept reading...

Snow finally talked to Nabokov on Sunday and was told that Nabokov didn't realize who he was speaking to when abruptly ending the call.

Edited January 24, 2011 by Konnan511