Nabokov Gets Picked Up By Islanders on Way To Motor City.

Believing that he would sign with a contending team, the once premier goalie in the NHL, Nabokov, has been picked up by the New York Islanders off waivers because since he played this year in the KHL Russian league. However, not going to the team he wanted, created a bit of a stir within the League and consequently debated through the continent-wide media. And according to the AP sources, Nabokov did not deal well with the news.

Snow said when he identified himself on the phone, Nabokov immediately hung up.

Can you really blame GM Garth Snow for trying? His fan base is increasingly growing upset at the losing seasons and status of the Lighthouse Project. If the attempt at acquiring a goaltender to replace underachieving Rick DiPietro could spark some hope, then why not use the waiver rules to the fullest advantage.

Now, the Islanders have 2 options with Nabokov. They can suspend him for the rest of the season leaving Nabokov the contractual obligation to play the full season next year. Or the Isles can use the newly acquired goalie as trade bait back to the Red Wings and possibly pick up some other players instead.

"I'm not going to speculate," Snow said. "I'm looking forward to having him in an Islanders uniform. We can cross those bridges when we get there. I'm not there yet."

Islanders owner Charles Wang hinted that the Islanders aren't likely to just cut ties with Nabokov and allow him to go back on the waiver wire.

Nabokov's position is that he really doesn't want to treat the Islanders in such public fashion.

Nabokov told ESPN.com on Sunday that his decision to spurn the Islanders is not personal. He merely intended to hook on with a title-contending team and not an also-ran club such as the Islanders, who own the third-fewest points in the NHL.

"I think I'm going to stay home for now, I'm sticking with my decision," Nabokov said Sunday. "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.

Nabokov was once considered a premier goaltender in the NHL and gained most notoriety with the Sharks playoff runs. However, once it was known that Nabokov was asking for too much, NHL General Managers have wained on him considering his inability to take a team to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A native of Kazakhstan, Nabokov was considered one of the top goaltenders on the market after finishing the 2009-10 season with a 44-16-10 record, 2.43 goals-against average and three shutouts for San Jose.

[Via: MLive.com & Vancouver Sun]