Reports: Nabokov to Russia

[Forkboy]

Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has signed a four-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.

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.

For his NHL career, Nabokov has 293 wins, a 2.39 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 563 regular-season games. He is 40-38 in 80 postseason games with a 2.29 GAA and .913 save percentage, but the Sharks never made the Stanley Cup Final during his tenure despite regularly finishing at or near the top of the Western Conference standings.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=533939

I find this surprising, but given the goalie market these days I shouldn't. Right now there's a plethora of good goalies who can be found on the cheap (the Hawks just won a Cup with one). The days of high priced goalie free agents getting snatched up quickly is long gone.

I wonder what kind of conditions are in this KHL contract. I think if Nabby showed some patience that an NHL team would come knocking sooner or later, and I wonder if the KHL contract is a lock or a something he can get out of if the NHL does come calling down the road. The guy won 44 games last year, and that's nothing to sneeze at. He's hardly washed up.