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Evgeni Nabokov News & Rumors

Islanders, Nabokov agree to one-year extension
March 22
New York Post
 
"Last season, Evgeni Nabokov chose to stay away from the Islanders. Now, after one season on Long Island, the veteran goalie likes it so much he is going to stick around for another year. The 36-year-old Nabokov agreed to terms Wednesday with the Islanders on a one-year, $2.75 million extension that will keep him from becoming a free agent this summer. Nabokov was claimed on waivers by the Islanders last season, after he finished playing in Russia's KHL, but he decided against joining New York because he wanted to play for the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he had signed a deal."
Islanders ink Nabakov to one-year contract extension
March 21
TSN.ca
 
"The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year contract extension. The 36-year-old will earn $2.75 million for the 2012-13 season. The deal does not include a no-movement or no-trade clause. "I'm thrilled to commit to this team for next season," Nabokov said. "We have a great group in the locker room of young, talented players and we're heading in the right direction. I'm excited to have the chance to help get this team back to the playoffs.""
Missing playoffs a rarity for Nabokov
March 20
Newsday
 
"Losing has not been a big part of Evgeni Nabokov's NHL career. Even though the 36-year-old goaltender has had a season that certainly has been a revival, it seems all but certain that he won't get to add to his career total of 80 playoff games, which ranks 21st all-time and second among active goalies, behind only Martin Brodeur. He said the possibility of missing the postseason for only the second time in 11 NHL seasons, and first since the Sharks missed out in 2002-03, has not altered his thinking about signing with the Islanders for next season and possibly one more season beyond that. "It's not really changed anything, business as usual," Nabokov said after the Islanders practiced at"
Islanders' Nabokov shuts out Flyers
February 8
New York Post
 
"Evgeni Nabokov faced a barrage of shots from all angles, stopping everything that came at him. Nabokov made 45 saves and Frans Nielsen and John Tavares scored on Ilya Bryzgalov in a shootout, helping the Islanders beat the Flyers 1-0 last night. Nabokov was sensational, turning aside every shot he faced — including two in the shootout. He recorded his 52nd career shutout and second this season in his return to the NHL after a brief stint in Russia. "They were all decent and quality shots," Nabokov said. "Sometimes you get a rebound, a weird bounce and they go in. That is just the way the game is.""
Washington is flat and shut out for first time this season, 3-0, by Evgeni Nabokov
January 18
Washington Post
 
"With a chance to sweep a four-game homestand and head out on the road riding a wave of success, the Washington Capitals instead were knocked backwards by the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. Washington looked flat as players failed to win battles for the puck and coughed it uprepeatedly against the New York Islanders, who zipped around the ice despite playing in the second of back-to-back nights. The Capitals' decidedly uninspired play would elicit boos from the crowd at Verizon Center on Tuesday night and later send fans streaming toward the exits early as their team fell, 3-0, to the lowly Islanders."
Evgeni Nabokov out indefinitely
November 19
ESPN.com
 
"Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is out indefinitely with a groin injury, the New York Islanders announced Friday. Nabokov left the Islanders' 4-3 win over Montreal on Thursday 7:55 into the first period after suffering the injury. The 36-year-old made a save with his right pad on Montreal's Yannick Weber and went down immediately afterward in obvious pain. Backup Rick DiPietro came in to replace Nabokov, making 24 saves in relief to record his second win of the season. DiPietro made his first appearance of 2011-12 to replace an injured Nabokov as well. The 30-year-old goalie, who was sidelined with a concussion to begin the season, was thrust into the game during the shootout in the team's 3-2"
Nabokov leaves game with groin injury
November 18
NHL.com
 
"New York Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov left Thursday night's game against the Montreal Canadiens in the first period with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. Nabokov went into a butterfly to make a pad stop on a power-play blast from the left circle by Brian Gionta at 7:55 of the opening period, but his right leg splayed awkwardly and he sprawled face-first as the puck went toward the corner. Play was stopped and the 36-year-old was helped off the ice. Rick DiPietro, who hadn't played since Nov. 5, entered the game as his replacement."
Bruins knock out Nabokov in the first period and then pile on against Islanders
November 8
Boston Globe
 
"In their last three wins, the most recent being a 6-2 thumping of the Islanders last night at TD Garden, the Bruins have racked up 18 goals. The finish that was missing for most of October looks like it has returned. Like they did against Toronto and Ottawa the previous week, the Bruins threw a wave-after-wave attack on starting goalie Evgeni Nabokov (three goals allowed), backup Al Montoya (two), and the empty net that David Krejci slipped the puck into at 17:12 of the third."
Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov was looking forward to facing his former team
October 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Evgeni Nabokov was hearing from some of his former teammates that he got a case of "Sharks flu" almost as soon as word got out that an injury forced him to sit out a shootout in Pittsburgh. But, no, Nabokov said Saturday, he wasn't trying to avoid facing the Sharks. On the contrary, he had been looking forward to it. "When I came to training camp, I looked at the schedule and put a little dot right there," he said, figuratively marking the date when the New York Islanders would play San Jose. San Jose did not re-sign Nabokov after losing the Western Conference finals to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, but he spoke only glowingly of his time in San Jose. "It was probably the best 10 years"
Evgeni Nabokov hurting, won't play for New York Islanders against his old team Saturday
October 29
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Former Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, now with the New York Islanders, will miss Saturday's game against his old team because of a lower-body injury. The Sharks were expected to get their first look at Nabokov in an NHL jersey other than their own. But that isn't in the cards after Nabokov on Friday was declared day-to-day and said he planned to stay off the ice for a day or two. Sharks center Joe Pavelski said he would have welcomed the chance to try to score on Nabokov. "It's always fun to line up against old teammates," Pavelski said. "We got to compete in practice a lot, but in games we were always on the same side." Nabokov played 65 minutes Thursday night against the Pittsburgh"
Nabokov says he will report to Islanders camp
August 2
CBSSports.com
 
"While the attention of Islanders fans is on a certain referendum vote today (or maybe not, considering the "abysmal" turnout), some other news came down surrounding the franchise on the ice. Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov will join the Isles for training camp. He told Newsday writer Katie Strang that he plans on reporting to the team, something he didn't do after the team claimed him off of waivers in January. "I want to set the record straight," Nabokov told Newsday. "A lot of people speculated that I didn't want to go to the organization, but that's totally not true. "What made me make that decision is that I hadn't skated for a month-and-a-half when they claimed me. They were out of the"
Evgeni Nabokov's NHL future hinges on Islanders' plans
July 26
SportingNews.com
 
"Evgeni Nabokov appears ready to return to the National Hockey League -- either with the New York Islanders, who own his rights, or to a team to which the Isles trade him. And according to a Twitter posting from Canadian-based reported James Mirtle, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has told the Islanders they won't have to risk sending Nabokov through waivers before trading him. Nabokov, 36, spent most of last season in limbo. After leaving the NHL as an unrestricted free agent who couldn't find a deal, he signed with Russia's Kontintenal Hockey League -- only to get out of his $24 million contract. He decided to return to the NHL, and the Detroit Red Wings signed him to a cut-rate"
Wings know Nabokov a long way from joining team
January 21
Detroit Free Press
 
"Kris Draper admitted he was a little surprised to learn that the Red Wings had offered Evgeni Nabokov a one-year contract Thursday night. "The thing is, just 'cause he's signed, it's a long way from him being here," Draper said of Nabokov. Nabokov began the season playing in the Kontinental Hockey League for SKA St. Petersburg, but left for family reasons after playing in 22 games. He'll be put on waivers at noon today, and any other NHL team has until noon Saturday to claim him. "You just have to look down the hall here to see what happens with teams signing a player and him going through waivers," Draper said as he stood in the locker room of the Scottrade Center following a 4-3 overtime"
Red Wings, goalie Evgeni Nabokov agree to a one-year deal
January 21
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Red Wings agreed to a one-year, $570,000 contract with Evgeni Nabokov tonight. Now they'll wait to see if another NHL team snatches him away. Nabokov began the season playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, so he'll have to clear waivers to end up with the Wings. He'll go on waivers at noon Friday and any NHL will have until noon Saturday to claim him. The $570,000 salary is prorated, so it will only cost the Wings $250,000 for the rest of the season. "My comment is, he's not our player, so when he becomes our player, then I'll talk about him," Wings coach Mike Babcock said when asked about Nabokov following a 4-3 overtime win over the Blues tonight at the Scottrade Center. "Even"
Source: Nabokov, Red Wings close to finalizing deal
January 20
TSN.ca
 
"Sources tell TSN that the Detroit Red Wings are in discussions with veteran goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and it's believed the two sides are close to finalizing a deal. Nabokov has been a free agent since December when he was released from his contract with Russian club SKA St. Petersburg. He was in the first year of a four-year deal that he signed in the off-season with the KHL club after 10 years with the San Jose Sharks. In his final season with the Sharks, Nabokov posted a 44-16-10 record with a 2.43 GAA and led the Sharks to the Western Conference final where they were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks."
Nothing simple about Tampa Bay Lightning's possible interest in goalie Evgeni Nabokov
December 19
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When it comes to Evgeni Nabokov, things are not as simple as they seem. This is not to say the Lightning is going after the free agent goaltender. General manager Steve Yzerman, with a 17-10-4 team entering Saturday, has time to let goalies Mike Smith and Dan Ellis get their games in order, though his patience is not limitless. It's just that signing Nabokov is all about a trip through the collective bargaining agreement minefield. Because Nabokov, a former Sharks star, wants to come back to the league from Russia - where last week because of a "family matter" he was released from his four-year, $24 million contract with St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League - any NHL team that"
Nabokov not necessarily the right fit for Bolts
December 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"Put yourself in Don Meehan's shoes, when one of your top goaltending clients, former San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov, becomes an in-season free agent. As Meehan looks around at NHL teams, scanning the league stats, trying to find what team might be the best fit, the team at the top of that list screams out like a banshee on Halloween Night. Of course Meehan put in a call to Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman. Of course Tampa Bay looks like the team in most need of an upgrade, as Mike Smith and Dan Ellis had combined for a save percentage of .875 heading into Saturday's game - .12 percentage points worse than anybody else in the league. Rationally speaking, it's a perfect match. But"
Evgeni Nabokov returning to NHL, but for whom?
December 18
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Evgeni Nabokov is back in the United States, and soon he'll be back in the NHL. But he won't be back in a Sharks uniform, according to San Jose general manager Doug Wilson. "We have great respect for Nabby both as a man and what he did for our franchise," Wilson said Friday. "But we are completely happy with the goaltending tandem that we have in place." So if not San Jose, his home for his previous 10 NHL seasons, where? Nabokov's North American representative, Don Meehan (google "hockey super agent," and there he is) is talking to NHL teams following Nabokov's release from SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian KHL, but Meehan declined to reveal which ones. Here are the teams that make the"
Agent: Evgeni Nabokov, KHL club split
December 14
ESPN.com
 
"Longtime San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and Kontinental Hockey League club SKA St. Petersburg have parted ways, the player's agent, Don Meehan, told ESPN.com on Monday. Unable to land an acceptable NHL deal after his Sharks contract expired, Nabokov signed a four-year deal with St. Petersburg, one of the KHL's most affluent clubs, last summer. The split was "mutually agreed upon. Family reasons," Meehan said."
Nabokov, Russian team part ways
December 13
NHL.com
 
"Evgeni Nabokov, who left the NHL for a four-year contract with Russian club SKA St. Petersburg during the summer, has left that team and his contract has been terminated, SKA announced Monday. "The contract between the club and the goaltender (Evgeni) Nabokov was rescinded because of the family circumstances of the hockey player," was the explanation on the team's website. In 22 games, Nabokov is just 8-8-5 with a 3.02 goals-against average and .888 save percentage. That's far below the career numbers the 35-year-old put up during his 10 seasons with the San Jose Sharks."
Nabokov signs deal with KHL team
July 8
ESPN.com
 
"Evgeni Nabokov is headed to Russia's KHL. The 34-year-old free-agent goalie confirmed to ESPN.com Wednesday he has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. "It was an interesting decision, a hard decision for me, but I'm also excited right now," Nabokov said."
Reports: Nabokov to Russia
July 7
NHL.com
 
"Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has signed a six-year contract with St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, according to multiple reports. Nabokov and Marty Turco were the big names among goalies when NHL free agency began on July 1, but there hadn't been significant interest shown as teams went for less-expensive options. The 34-year-old Nabokov won a career-best 44 games this past season for the Sharks, who made it to the Western Conference Finals before getting swept in four straight by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks."
Nabokov not falling for Flyers advances
June 28
Yahoo! Sports
 
"The Philadelphia Flyers are working hard to try and sign San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov(notes) before he can become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, but it may come to nothing. The team made a deal with the Sharks over the weekend to attain the negotiating rights. A "source close to the situation" tells the Inquirer that he's "not optimistic" a deal between the two sides will get done this week. But perhaps the interest the Flyers are showing now will help the team once Nabokov heads into free agency."
Nabokov, Flyers talking, but....
June 28
Philly.com
 
"The Flyers have been given permission to talk with the agent for San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov and try to make a deal before the free-agency period starts on Thursday. But a soucre close to the situation said he was "not optimistic" that a deal could be reached prior to Thursday. In other words, Nabokov is expected to test the free-agent waters, and the Flyers will be among a handful of suitors."
Flyers gain negotiating rights to goalie Evgeni Nabokov
June 27
Philly.com
 
"The Flyers' quest for San Jose standout goalie Evgeni Nabokov upstaged any of the selections - including a sixth-round choice used on the club president's son - that they made in Saturday's draft here at the Staples Center. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren continued talking to San Jose GM Doug Wilson about acquiring the rights to Nabokov, who can become an unrestricted free agent Thursday. The Flyers have been granted permission to negotiate with Nabokov's agent before the free-agency period starts. But Holmgren said he wouldn't be surprised if Nabokov reached free agency. Don Meehan, Nabokov's agent, agreed. Meehan had discussions with Holmgren at the draft. Meehan said Saturday that"
Flyers make deal, may add Nabokov
June 26
Courier-Post
 
"Less than a week after the Flyers acquired the rights to defenseman Dan Hamhuis, they traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft. The move came late Friday night after contract talks between Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren and Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, broke off. Hamhuis was reportedly seeking a three-year deal worth more than $4.5 million and was concerned over playing time in Philadelphia, where he was slotted as a fourth defenseman behind Chris Pronger, Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen. Apparently, the Penguins feel they are better suited to meet Hamhuis' contract demands. Since the Flyers surrendered defenseman Ryan Parent in the original"
Sharks part ways with goalie Evgeni Nabokov
June 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"When the Sharks begin play next season, Evgeni Nabokov will not be between the pipes. General manager Doug Wilson has told the veteran goalie, who will become a free agent next week, that he is not part of the team's future. "We've made the decision to go in a different direction on the goaltender," Wilson said. "Nabby has been outstanding for the organization and has been a big part of our successes. I have great respect for him as a man, as a player and as a teammate. Our team is trending up, and Nabby definitely deserves credit for that." Nabokov — one of the faces of the organization over the past decade — was a salary-cap casualty as the Sharks try to re-sign their numerous free"
Sharks surely won't be able to keep both Marleau and Nabokov
May 25
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"For those of you scoring at home, the Sharks' exhilarating yet ultimately frustrating 2010 playoff adventure lasted for 15 games and 40 days. Including overtimes. But put on your face shield and mouth guard. Because the next 36 days could be even more emotional and brutal in their own special way. Between now and July 1, when the NHL's free-agent period begins, the franchise faces some rugged choices. And one of them could be more painful than the inside of Duncan Keith's mouth after the Blackhawks player lost seven teeth in Sunday's game. There is a very real possibility that the Sharks will need to choose between keeping the best goalie in franchise history or keeping their all-time"
Evgeni Nabokov's legacy as a Shark being forged in this series
May 19
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Cam Inman
"You wonder on every goal he allows. You wonder on every save he makes. You wonder on every breath Evgeni Nabokov takes. OK, that last line is too much like a song lyric. But Nabokov's lasting legacy with the Sharks is being defined right here in these Western Conference finals. How many more games will he play in that menacing Sharks helmet? How will his final game end this season, in heroic fashion with a Stanley Cup or in a familiar sad handshake at the end of a receiving line? Nabokov, whose contract is up at season's end, has had a strong postseason. It needs to be stronger. He didn't start this series any better than Blackhawks counterpart Antti Niemi, who stopped 44 shots in Sunday's"
Sharks goalie Nabokov plays the quiet game
May 8
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Evgeni Nabokov had a tight smile on his face and a short message for anybody who wanted to ask. "Not today, guys," Nabokov said. Perhaps there was a dollop of levity infused in those words, uttered during the media period after Friday's Sharks meeting and optional skate. But, given the first-period Detroit bombardment Nabokov endured in the Sharks' 7-1 loss in Game 4 Thursday, perhaps Nabokov felt just as terse as he sounded. It is, of course, fairly difficult to analyze the tone, meaning and mood when you've got a totality of two seconds' worth of mood and tone. And the Sharks, up 3-1, remain in control of this series, with every chance to clinch it tonight at HP Pavilion, whether or not"
Sharks' Nabokov allows five goals in first 20 minutes
May 7
Detroit Free Press
 
"Evgeni Nabokov's night ended early in Game 4, but only after his teammates failed to show up in the first period. Nabokov was chased from the game after allowing five goals on nine shots in the first 20 minutes. Thomas Greiss made his NHL postseason debut and finished with 26 saves in a 7-1 loss to the Red Wings on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena. "We didn't show up there the first period by any means," said Sharks captain Rob Blake. "They were much more desperate. Totally outplayed us. It's a loss. We move on now, but we weren't ready to play that game at all." The Sharks had talked since winning Game 3 about expecting the Wings' best effort in Game 4."
Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov not good this time
May 7
Detroit News
 
"Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov had not been stellar, but he had been good enough for the Sharks to take a 3-0 series lead. But in Game 4 Thursday, Nabokov allowed more goals (five) than he had saves (four) in the first period and was pulled for backup Thomas Greiss after the period. "It's one game. There were three or four mistakes that led to each goal." Nabokov said. Greiss allowed a goal in his first 3:05 in net to make it a 6-0 Wings' lead, the second-fastest six-goal spurt in playoff history. He allowed another score in the third period, but finished with 28 saves. "The way the night was going, we didn't want to leave (Nabokov) in there," coach Todd McLelland said. "I thought Thomas"
Evgeni Nabokov answering his doubters
May 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"With one flash of his glove, Evgeni Nabokov went a long way toward giving the Sharks their chance tonight to eliminate the Detroit Red Wings. "I think it was a turning point," coach Todd McLellan said of Nabokov's Game 3 save on a penalty shot by Detroit scoring threat Henrik Zetterberg. "At that point, we were on our heels more than our toes." The Sharks went on to a 4-3 overtime victory Tuesday, taking a 3-0 series lead and getting in position to close out their Western Conference semifinal series at Joe Louis Arena. And while there is still a long way to go, that save — and 217 others by Nabokov this postseason — has gone a long way toward quieting those who have questioned his ability"
Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov comes up big late
April 17
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Evgeni Nabokov had asked rhetorically earlier in the week, what happens when a goalie has a bad night and he can't steal a playoff game? "Then you need everybody else," Nabokov said, answering his own question. Friday night, Nabokov needed a whole lot of help as he gave up five goals on just 18 shots in regulation play against Colorado. But despite looking shaky all night, he came through with four saves early in overtime. That gave the Sharks time enough for Devin Setoguchi to score the game-winner as San Jose notched a heart-stopping, 6-5 victory Friday night at HP Pavilion. Nabokov simply saved his best for last. And in the process, he helped save the Sharks for sliding into a 0-2 hole"
Nabokov survivor in goaltending clash
April 17
Denver Post
 
"As goaltending duels go, it seemed as if it was going to come down to which of the two men in the nets — the Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov and the Avalanche's Craig Anderson — was going to make the last mistake or misplay to decide Friday night's Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series. Ultimately, although inept for much of the night and drastically outplayed, Nabokov was the goalie able to celebrate with his teammates, as Devin Setoguchi's power-play goal at 5:22 of overtime gave the Sharks the wild 6-5 victory to even the series at 1-1. Anderson, who again displayed his ability to regroup after allowing shaky goals and finished with 46 saves, was left to lament a lost opportunity."
Sharks need goalie Evgeni Nabokov to be sharp to reverse playoff fortunes
April 14
San Jose Mercury News
 
"It turns out that the quaint expression of hockey goalie excellence — "he stood on his head" — translates into Russian. "It's exactly the same," Evgeni Nabokov said. "But we don't use that phrase much. We have a slang one, but it's not appropriate for the newspaper." Whatever the language, all eyes will be on Nabokov tonight as the Stanley Cup playoffs begin to see if one of last year's postseason goats can redeem himself — and, so to speak, play upside down. The conventional wisdom is that the Sharks will travel as far into the postseason as Nabokov carries them. Of course 15 other teams can say that about their goaltending as well. Goalies always are the great playoff "X" factor. "You"
San Jose Sharks look for lessons from Olympic experience
March 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Gary Peterson
"You can't go to the Olympics without bringing home a present. Tuesday morning, after a short practice, five San Jose Sharks shared the best souvenirs money can't buy. "You haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face in 48 hours," said Joe Thornton, flashing the gold medal Canada won Sunday with an instant-classic overtime victory over Team USA. "I think the rest of the guys are about the same." Pause. "I'm not sure about Pavs." Laughter. Thornton, of course, was one of four Sharks (along with Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and Dan Boyle) who played for victorious Canada. Joe Pavelski was the only San Jose player from the vanquished U.S. team. Two days after the game that catapulted the"
Sharks need to leave Olympics behind
March 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Evgeni Nabokov, above and below, had a game to forget, yielding six goals to Canada. Evgeni Nabokov thought about the Olympics, fell to his knees and wept hysterically for a good ten minutes. Yeah, sure he did. In the comfortable one-thing-always-leads-to-another world of the modern conspiracy theorist, whatever failings he might demonstrate in the Stanley Cup playoffs will be directly attributable to Nabokov's six-goal pummeling by the Canadians in the quarterfinals. In his world, well, let's put it this way: The Sharks' first goaltender was polite when asked if he worries about any lingering hangover from the Russian Olympic flameout, as the 7-3 loss to Canada can be fairly termed,"
San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov not bothered by Olympic debacle
March 2
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"The body language was loose, confident and crystal clear, with no need for translation or pity. Evgeni Nabokov looked fresh, stopped almost everything fired his way during the Sharks' practice Monday, then strode into the dressing room and plopped down at his locker like he owned the place. The actual language was unmistakable, too. "You guys are waiting for me, right?" Nabokov said, surveying the reporters milling around. "Come on, let's go." Definitely not flinching or sheepish. Amazingly eager, you might say, to discuss his role in an international sporting debacle."
Evgeni Nabokov offers perspective on Sharks' quest for Stanley Cup
February 2
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"A cool story about Evgeni Nabokov this season is that where there could have been a story, there has been no story. This is his contract year. The Sharks goalie will become a free agent this summer unless he is signed to a contract extension. But I haven't heard a word from him, in Russian or English, about it. Neither have you. The reason? Nabokov and the Sharks have mutually agreed not to talk about any of that until we all see how this season's playoffs turn out. In the NBA or the NFL, that would never happen. Nabokov's situation, for a player of his stature, would lead to a full-blown season-long soap opera. Not in the NHL. "You can't compare hockey to other sports," Nabokov said with"
Sharks' Nabokov looks to slow Ovechkin
December 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Evgeni Nabokov had to know he was going to get an earful when Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Ovechkin deflected a shot past the Sharks goalie in October. And he did. "He's a great guy, and when I scored my first goal on him, I just screamed at him, 'I got it! I got it!' " said Ovechkin, the NHL's reigning MVP who had scored at least once against every team except San Jose before that night. Nabokov and Ovechkin have much in common. Both are highly competitive and the two will play for Team Russia at the Vancouver Olympics in February. But all that gets set aside tonight when their NHL teams face each other at HP Pavilion. Even so, Nabokov recognizes there are higher priorities"
Nabokov authors gem against Hawks
December 23
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks are locked in a battle for the top spot in the Western Conference, and the last two games between the teams have been strange ones. The Hawks outshot the Sharks 47-14 on Tuesday but still lost a 3-2 nail-biter before the 70th consecutive sellout crowd at the United Center. That came in the aftermath of the Hawks' 7-2 victory Nov. 25 in San Jose in which they embarrassed the Sharks by scoring three short-handed goals. ''Any time you get beat 7-2 in your own barn, that sticks with you,'' winger Troy Brouwer said. ''They had a chip on their shoulder ever since. They capitalized on our turnovers. They did to us what we did to them.'' Simply put, the Hawks had"
Blackhawks fall 3-2
December 23
Chicago Tribune
 
"There are few things more dangerous than an angry Shark. The Blackhawks were facing a whole bunch of them Tuesday night at the United Center because they had humiliated San Jose by five goals last month in its own tank. The Sharks avenged that defeat with a 3-2 victory over the Hawks before a crowd of 21,614. The loss snapped the Hawks' four-game winning streak as they fell for just the second time in their last 15 home games. Hawks goaltender Cristobal Huet, who entered with two consecutive shutouts, suffered the loss as Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov outdueled him. The Hawks fell despite a goal and an assist from Marian Hossa, while Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist to help lift the"
Sharks downplay post-game finger-pointing
December 5
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Evgeni Nabokov wanted to clarify, Marc-Edouard Vlasic wanted to move on, and coach Todd McLellan wasn't necessarily displeased with the whole affair. That was Friday's aftermath of a tough Sharks loss the previous night. It stemmed from the goalie's statement that his defenseman should have blocked a St. Louis shot with just a few seconds left. Instead, the shot went in, the Blues forged a 2-2 tie, and the Sharks went on to lose in a shootout. San Jose seemed to be in control of the game Thursday night when Blues forward Brad Boyes was penalized for hooking with less than two minutes remaining. But St. Louis applied heavy pressure, and with 6.6 seconds left in regulation, defenseman Carlo"
Nabokov looking to future
August 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov will make the transition back to serious hockey this week when he flies to Moscow for the Olympic camp that Team Russia has set up in preparation for February's Winter Games in Vancouver. Not that the past few months necessarily have been an easy time for Nabokov or any of his teammates. Not after what general manager Doug Wilson labeled the biggest playoff disappointment in franchise history. "You look at yourself in the mirror and you say that wasn't good enough," Nabokov said of his performance in the first-round loss to the Anaheim Ducks. "And now you say, how are we going to get better and what are we going to change?" Wilson has had one-on-one talks with"