Farewell to Nabby

Evgeni Nabokov is now a Tampa Bay Lightning, signed as a free agent by Tampa shortly after Chad Johnson inked his deal with the Islanders.

Nabokov leaves the Isles after compiling winning records in each of the last three seasons, finishing with a 57-43-18 mark.  His 123 games with the Isles ranks 10th all-time among goalies (4 fewer than Garth Snow) while his 57 wins rate 8th.  Nabokov's career goals against average as an Islander was 2.59; among those who played at least 2000 minutes for the club, only Chico Resch (2.56) had a lower GAA.

Nabokov went 23-11-7 in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, earning 5 points in balloting for the Hart Memorial Trophy. However, Isles fans also remember his playoff performance, when he managed only an .842 save percentage and a 4.44 GAA as the Isles were beaten by the Penguins.

Maybe Tampa is the right destination for Nabokov.  The winner of 350 NHL games will turn 39 later this month.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick