G - Ilya Nabokov - 2024 #38

[expatriatedtexan]

IMO, reluctance to come over + MBW signed for 5 years + Avs 0 other "top" prospects to trade for help = he's used to acquire somebody this coming season.

Not that I mind. But before we go bringing in a new guy, I'd like to know what a new deal for Wedgewood would look like? At 32, does he take a a nice #2 salary to stay with the Avs? Because... so far at least, I see no reason to upgrade on Scooter.

That being said, I don't think eeither Keven Mandolese or Trent Miner are ready for the #2 role, so if Nabakov isn't it, somebody else will have to be.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Is this based on something you've seen in his play, or are you like me and basing this off his reluctance to come over and get started with it?

Because… reasons.

1. I don’t like goalies under 6’2”. 6’1” is passable. Nabokov is 6 feet on a good day.

2. Blackwood extension. That’s our contention window.

3. Nabokov won’t even sign to come and play in the AHL. He wants a guaranteed NHL spot.

4. We have almost no assets left with any value. Just the two Russians, really, and that’s if a team is convinced they can get them to come over and compete for a spot.

So, yeah, I don’t see a future with him as an Av.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Because… reasons.

1. I don’t like goalies under 6’2”. 6’1” is passable. Nabokov is 6 feet on a good day.

2. Blackwood extension. That’s our contention window.

3. Nabokov won’t even sign to come and play in the AHL. He wants a guaranteed NHL spot.

4. We have almost no assets left with any value. Just the two Russians, really, and that’s if a team is convinced they can get them to come over and compete for a spot.

So, yeah, I don’t see a future with him as an Av.

I didn't realize he was another Andrei Mironov.

 

[Foppa2118]

Unless there are other reasons why he may not come over, I think he could in 26-27.

Signs an ELC with a one year loan to the KHL. Wedgewood's deal is up in a year and probably wants a raise. Seems like a natural fit for Nabokov to step in on a cheap ELC and earn the backup spot in camp.

If he doesn't they'll scramble for a backup off waivers or trade. They have plenty of experience doing that.

Though I was a bit worried earlier he may be using the Avs as leverage for a bigger KHL deal. Hopefully that's not the case. Size in a goalie is concerning though, I agree.

 

[McMetal]

IMO, reluctance to come over + MBW signed for 5 years + Avs 0 other "top" prospects to trade for help = he's used to acquire somebody this coming season.

I don't see why Blackwood being signed for 5 years is a massive barrier. Let's say Nabokov comes over, and then starts pushing Blackwood for the starter position. That's not an awful problem to have. In that case, you can probably trade Blackwood for a king's ransom, because there are multiple teams every season who are desperate for a goalie (last year, we were one of them). Unless he goes full Georgiev, he would have value with a couple years left on his deal.

Then we can make the transition to Nabokov as a starter and go from there. Or maybe the guy busts and becomes a backup or worse. In that case, we just keep going with Blackwood. I don't see how there's a scenario where we lose by giving Nabokov a chance.

 

[RockLobster]

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Now we wait to hear if he's coming over, or staying there

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Now we wait to hear if he's coming over, or staying there

Arrange for Nuke to get a bonus key and he'll stuff Nabby in his suitcase on his way back over next fall.

 

[AvBuff]

I don't see why Blackwood being signed for 5 years is a massive barrier. Let's say Nabokov comes over, and then starts pushing Blackwood for the starter position. That's not an awful problem to have. In that case, you can probably trade Blackwood for a king's ransom, because there are multiple teams every season who are desperate for a goalie (last year, we were one of them). Unless he goes full Georgiev, he would have value with a couple years left on his deal.

Then we can make the transition to Nabokov as a starter and go from there. Or maybe the guy busts and becomes a backup or worse. In that case, we just keep going with Blackwood. I don't see how there's a scenario where we lose by giving Nabokov a chance.

Exactly.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Right. We should have zero expectation with anything KHL.

In the last several years people here "wasted" like 50 pages talking about Kovalenko....played 5 games, got traded and disappeared. Let's not do that again.

You act like we wouldn't be talking about anything else of even less substance if Kovy wasn't here.

Especially when we are pushing June and not still playing hockey. 'Tis the off-season. This is the time of year were we try to convince ourselves that:


Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Comeau-Duchene-Iginla
Compher-Soderberg-R. Borque
McLeod-Mitchell-Andrighetto

Beauchemin-Barrie
Tyutin-Johnson
Zadorov-Wiercioch/Goloubef

Barberio

Varlamov
Pickard

Yep... this one is going to lead us to the promise land.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

 

[Balthazar]

You act like we wouldn't be talking about anything else of even less substance if Kovy wasn't here.

You were too fast. I deleted the post after realizing I didn’t really get my point across.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

If he believes in himself, he'll come over.

If he doesn't, he won't.

The fact that the Avs have the Lumber Yard signed for one season shouldn't f***ing make a difference to this kid. If he can't mentally commit to putting in a single in the AHL, he is not certainly not mentally capable of winning four rounds of Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey. I know this is not fair, but to me it feels as if kids are hiding something by not coming at or before their D+2 year.

Let say he came over and did okay. Worse case scenario is what, he doesn't suck, but also doesn't really immediately shine, so we extend Scooter. Say Nabby then catches fire, no problem it's not like we're going to keep him in the AHL indefinitely when we have the number of holes we've got on our roster. The moment he proves himself in the AHL we will probably start getting calls on the dude. Goalies are always in demand... I just don't think anybody is really going to "want" him until he plays in NA. So the only thing he's delaying would be his own NHL career by staying in the KHL this season.

But one thing is for certain though... He can't play in the NHL until he makes the move.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

You were too fast. I deleted the post after realizing I didn’t really get my point across.

I was too slow. Good chance you deleted your post before I actually posted mine.

It probably took me like 15 minutes to type that out with all the catstractions I've been having this afternoon. *LOL*

 

[Balthazar]

Wedgewood has a year left. Best case scenario is probably backup in 2026-27.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Wedgewood has a year left. Best case scenario is probably backup in 2026-27.

Complete waste of a year under contract.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Complete waste of a year under contract.

What am I missing?

If this is now not expected to be a loan situation, that means he's coming over to NA, right?

Starting the season in the AHL getting used to NA hockey as well as culture and language isn't a waste is it?

 

[RoyIsALegend]

What am I missing?

If this is now not expected to be a loan situation, that means he's coming over to NA, right?

Starting the season in the AHL getting used to NA isn't a waste is it?

Read TMV’s tweet…

“It DOES sound like this is going to be a loan situation.”

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Read TMV’s tweet…

“It DOES sound like this is going to be a loan situation.”

My god... my brain.

@RoyIsALegend buddy... I'm afraid the day is coming where I am going to have to ask you to muster up all the boys and girls and push my small ice floe out to sea.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

My god... my brain.

@RoyIsALegend buddy... I'm afraid the day is coming where I am going to have to ask you to muster up all the boys and girls and push my small ice floe out to sea.

It’s ok dad, the time comes for all of us at some point.

 

[Foppa2118]

Wedgewood has a year left. Best case scenario is probably backup in 2026-27.

I feel like that was the scenario anyway. AHL would have been preferable to get to know the organization, and for them to keep closer tabs on him, but it's not that big a deal.

Has the KHL transitioned to the smaller ice yet? I heard that a while ago, but don't follow it closely.

Either way, not many Russians want to come over and experience a huge culture change by playing in the AHL. I feel like him staying in the KHL another year after Wedgewood signed was expected?

This is preferable to him signing another deal in the KHL. At least the ELC signals he might be willing to come over.

 

[Foppa2118]

It’s ok dad, the time comes for all of us at some point.

Happens to the best of us. Maybe sooner for those who've taken pucks to the head at an early age.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Happens to the best of us. Maybe sooner for those who've taken pucks to the head at an early age.

I'd like to say that it's not the age but the miles; however, I'm 53.

The real reason though is that I had an "active" childhood by even GenX standards and did not give up rodeo until after my brains came in... but by that time it was too late, they'd already been scrambled.

 

[Foppa2118]

I'd like to say that it's not the age but the miles; however, I'm 53.

The real reason though is that I had an "active" childhood by even GenX standards and did not give up rodeo until after my brains came in... but by that time it was too late, they'd already been scrambled.

Sounds like you were right with the first sentence.

Not saying this applies to you, but there's also a lot of research showing prolonged stress having big impacts on cognitive function later in life. Something for us all to keep in mind.

Protect your brain from stress - Harvard Health

Stress can affect your memory and cognition and put you at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Stress management tools can help reduce this risk....

www.health.harvard.edu

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Sounds like you were right with the first sentence.

Not saying this applies to you, but there's also a lot of research showing prolonged stress having big impacts on cognitive function later in life. Something for us all to keep in mind.

Protect your brain from stress - Harvard Health

Stress can affect your memory and cognition and put you at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Stress management tools can help reduce this risk....

www.health.harvard.edu

Yeah, I used to get worried if my symptoms were a product of aging or a product of going on 5 years of actively trying to kill every quickly growing cell in my body. Hair, skin, white blood cells... all of it and much more gets taken out on bi-weekly basis with a 48+ hour infusion. It unfortunately leads to bouts with "chemo-brain".

Two things I've started to really struggle with when typing over the last few years are homonyms (keep typing the wrong form of the word for its intended use) and tenses (I switch between tenses in the same sentence.) I kinda figure mis-reading RIAL's post with the tweet... My brain simply transcribed does to doesn't. Lots of reasons that could happen including a freudian hope. Definitely something to keep an eye on as that was a rather new and startling error. I don't normally completely mis-read someone's intent. As you know, I can and unfortunately have talked past someone's intent, but to completely misunderstanding properly written english... yeah.

Most everything else is due to me just being an idiot.