Nabokov was drafted by the San Jose Sharks with the 219th overall pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played 10 seasons with the Sharks and then signed with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2010. He only played in Russia for 22 games and went back to the NHL. He was signed by the Detroit Red Wings in January, 2011. He never played a game for the Red Wings and was placed on waivers. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Islanders on January 22, 2011. For three years he played for the Islanders, and then played one year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He stopped playing hockey in 2015.