The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly very close to a deal with veteran goaltender Evgeni Nabokov but it doesn't look like he'll clear waivers, meaning he'll likely never play a game for the Wings.
Ansar Khan of mlive.com reports that Nabokov will sign a $570,000 deal, just $45,000 above the league minimum, and that at a rate that low, the chances of a team claiming the veteran goaltender are very high.
A source close to the situation said the Red Wings will sign Nabokov for $570,000, which is only about $250,000 prorated for the rest of the season. He would go on waivers Friday at noon and would need to clear before joining the Red Wings.
So, basically, any team with a goaltending question or any team that wants a boost in that department would have a veteran guy there to fill the void, and they'd only have to shell out $250,000 for him to join up. It'sk ind of a slam dunk for any team that needs goaltending, and even better, it keeps Nabokov off of the Red Wings.