Nabokov to the Wings?

The hockey blogosphere is buzzing with the rumor that the Red Wings might sign Evgeni Nabokov to a contract. This has gotten to the point of a NHL.com story going up on the Red Wings website, so I’d say it’s legitimate.

I realize it’s just speculation, but here’s my two cents on this:

Evgeni Nabokov would only be here while Jim Howard and Chris Osgood are injured. There’s no chance of him being a contender for minutes in the playoffs, and there was no reason for the Wings to pick up a goaltender before every goalie got hurt. Right now, Osgood is out until at least early March, and Howard returns from injury tonight. If Nabokov comes, it will be entirely as a backup with the occasional relief start, until Osgood comes back.

Nabokov will probably be signed to a low-paying contract, as essentially the third goalie on the team. This allows for maximum cap flexibility for the trade deadline, and also could make Nabokov into tradebait when the time comes in March. If he plays well, the Wings could make a trade. If not, the Wings didn’t waste too much money.

The one biggest worry about Evgeni Nabokov is that he chokes in the playoffs. Nabokov was San Jose’s franchise goalie for years, without ever making the Stanley Cup Finals. With Jim Howard as the Wings’ goalie of the future, and Chris Osgood as the established veteran, there’s no way that Nabokov will make an impact in the playoffs with a healthy Red Wings team. The starting and back-up jobs are not up for grabs in Detroit.

Essentially, this is a short-term move for Detroit. There’s a chance it will work out and give the Wings some momentum heading into the end of the season, or it would be a small waste of money. Either way, this is a story that won’t have any legs come springtime.