New York Islanders: Evgeni Nabokov To Return Saturday Night Against the Capitals

The New York Islanders' game tonight against the Winnipeg Jets will likely be their last without the services of elite goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, as he is set to return for Saturday night's game against the Washington Capitals.

Injury-prone Rick DiPietro will be getting his second straight start tonight against the Jets, while Al Montoya will be backing him up.

"Nabby" came down with a minor lower body injury in the first period of last Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins that worsened as the game progressed. However, Evgeni was stellar throughout the game, and was the reason why it was tied after overtime.

He stopped 30 of 32 shots before head coach Jack Capuano decided to put in Rick DiPietro for the shootout.

Evgeni Nabokov has been one of the few bright spots for the slumping Islanders, who are currently on a five-game losing streak. His 2.23 goals-against average and .927 save percentage are among the best in the league, and he has been playing like he did when he was considered a top-five goaltender in the NHL back in his San Jose days.

Assuming the Islanders are not in the running for a playoff spot come March, Evgeni will likely be traded at the deadline to a Stanley Cup contender. At the moment Columbus, Tampa Bay and Detroit are currently all interested in his services, but only time will tell if a trade is looming for the veteran Russian netminder.