Rangers Star Marian Gaborik to Undergo Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Six Months

For a New York Rangers club already desperate for offense, the news could not get any worse. It was reported early Friday that the team's star winger Marian Gaborik will undergo offseason shoulder surgery that could shelve him for up to six months.

That would force him to miss training camp and possibly the first two months of the season. The injury was revealed in an MRI taken this past Tuesday, just days after the team's elimination at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.

The scan revealed a torn labrum, which necessitates surgery.

Gaborik was a force for the Rangers during the regular season, scoring 41 goals and assisting on 35 more. 

But he was frequently criticized during the playoffs for his inability to get on track and help the team. This news largely overshadows that, as the Slovakian winger states he has been playing with the injury for the past two months.

"Last two months I played with injury. It was not easy. The medication and injections reduced the pain, but I did not have the strength that I needed," stated Gaborik.

The surgery, which will take place next Wednesday in New York, is expected to sideline the winger for about five to six months. This now increases the impetus on Rangers GM Glen Sather to improve an already sub-par offense as he cannot rely on Gaborik until at least November or December.

For the New York Rangers and their fans, this is the last thing you needed to hear right now.