2010-2011 NHL season

This this this. One million times this.

Nabokov had the opportunity to sign with any team after July 1, and he chose to sign in Russia for the money. Now that his contract is void, his next opportunity to sign a UFA contract without passing through waivers is next July 1. He doesn't get a do-over without facing consequences laid out in the CBA.

The rule itself is in place for a very good reason (to keep teams from stashing players in Europe and bringing them over for a playoff run). I thought I read somewhere that its origin was the dynasty Oilers, who loved that little trick.

If you're Nabokov, you go because you signed a friggin' contract knowing any team could have picked you up on waivers.

 

fair enough Elliotte but he should have known damn well that Nabokov wouldn't report.

 

Thanks Smash, I never really did understand the rule until you explained it to me. :

If any team near or in the playoffs had picked him up I would have no problem with this. Why the Isles expct a 36 year old goalie making just above the minimum to report is beyond me. It reeks of PR bullshit saying to fans, look we are trying. A little due dilligence before you claim him goes a long way. THe Isles are a joke.

 

Maybe I'm just being dense (or don't know/understand the rule), but is there anything stopping Snow from dealing Nabokov? Or has Snow said he wants him to play?

The Isles are such a mess, wouldn't it be easy to tell Nabokov, "Look, come play for me for two weeks. Be good. Drive your trade value up and I'll let you give me a list of 5/10 teams. I promise I'll trade you to one of them."

It's not like they're gonna salvage this season. Might as well get something for him.

And if they're allowed to trade him, it's absolutely the right call to sign him. Snow's first obligation is to making his team better. If he can do that by signing a guy somebody else wants, then he should do it.

 

If they want to trade him now, he has to first clear waivers again, which won't happen.

Don't know how long he'd have to play in Long Island before he can be traded without having to clear. It's probably explained in the Bob McKenzie link JR posted.

 

I wonder if the Isles even knew the rule. Maybe they did pick him up to flip him only to find out after the fact they couldn't. Nothing would surprise from them.

 

Then, yeah, the Islanders are kinda dumb.

Unless their plan was to eat the rest of this season and deal him in the offseason. If you're looking out for number one, I'm not sure that's the worst idea in the world.

If you think you can get a pick for him, that's a chip you wouldn't have otherwise had. At the same time, it might not be worth the killing you'll take for going through with it.

 

And then there's this ...

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/shun_and_done_BsXamnac6btcndp0uuMjYP#ixzz1CAPtyy1h

So, at this point, isn't it in Nabokov's best interests to play for the Isles and then have them trade him in the offseason? Is that the only way NY gets anything?

 

Hey, here's something for Toronto area fans.

There'll be a Pat Burns Tribute at the Horseshoe Tavern on Monday March 7. Music will be provided by the legendary Dave Bidini

Tickets are $25.00 at Ticketmaster and there are only 400.

HC & I are probably going. Sounds like a blast.

 

That will be a blast. No better guy to provide the tunes than Dave Bidini.