It was too good a deal to pass up. General manager Garth Snow and the New York Islanders thwarted the Detroit Red Wings efforts to add valuable goalie depth for the stretch run by claiming Evgeni Nabokov on waivers before Saturdayâ€™s noon deadline.

But he may not be headed to the Islanders.

According to TSNâ€™caâ€™s Bob McKenzie, the goalie has decided not to report to the Islanders. Nabokov has been waiting for the right situation in which to showcase his skills in the NHL, and playing for the rebuilding Islanders where heâ€™d share time Rick DiPietro might not be the ideal situation.

The Red Wings and Nabokovâ€™s agent Don Meehan worked out a one-year deal, worth $570,000 with a no-movement clause. It turned out to be the right price for the Islanders.

Without Nabokov, the Red Wings remain thin in goal.

Starter Jimmy Howard has returned from his knee injury but his backup, Chris Osgood, is expected to be out until March while recovering from sports hernia surgery. Joey MacDonald was recently loaned to the AHL and is 1-2-1 in five games with the Red Wings this season.

Nabokov left the NHL this summer to sign a long-term deal with Russia but returned for family reasons. He helped lead the Sharks to the Western Conference finals last season and finished the regular season with a record of 44-16-10 with a 2.43 goals-against and .922 save percentage.