NHL's Marian Gaborik Both Injured and Wants a Raise. Is Anyone Surprised?

Minnesota fans have been through this before, a star player wants out of their team because of their inability to compete financially with the other bigger clubs in any given year. Minnesota fans first had to absorb the loss of Kevin Garnett last year in his golden parachute trade to Boston and now it appears their hockey team will have to find a way to sell sending yet another "star" to another city at their expense.

Marian Gaborik, an oft-injured forward for the NHL's Minnesota Wild, recently rejected an eight year $80 million dollar offer from the team to sign an extension. Gaborik, easily the face of the nine year old franchise, is arguably its best asset and player.

The speed skater is coming off his career best season of 83 points (42G 41A) one in which he made roughly $6.3M (U.S) approximately 12% of the team's salary cap. He did this while playing in 77 games, easily the most he has played since the 2002-03 season where he played in 81 contests.

Despite being a nine-year veteran (entering this year) the Slovak has appeared in just 487 regular-season games or just over 60 per season. Supporters will point out that while this may be true, he has average nearly a point a game in those contests (.85) for a total of 415 regular season points.

While that may sound great, it really isn't when you do the math since this comes out to roughly a 69 point average over an 82 game season. And the Minnesota Wild, one of the most fiscally responsible and profitable teams in the entire league, is supposed to reward Gaborik for basically being an exceptional part-time player? Based on last year's season totals, Gaborik would have been the 40th most productive player in the NHL with those 69 points.

His career playoff statistics aren't that encouraging either, especially if you take into account how many games he's played despite his age and coincidentally, relatively short career to this point. In 29 career post season games, the right winger has 12G and 10A. While that sounds good on the surface, note that most of this scoring was done during the Wild's franchise best 2002-03 run to the Western Conference Finals which saw Gaborik tally 9G and 8A.

This means since those 18 playoff contests that spring, he has just 3G and 2A in the 11 games following-including one paltry assist in six grueling games against the division nemesis Colorado Avalanche last spring where the media and fans knew he'd have to step up, yet he characteristically failed to deliver. Is anyone surprised? Some guys got it, and some guys don't. He--don't. Yet he wants a raise and an extension? For what?

Gaborik has been known to whine when his native sons Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara were not added to the team in free agent deals or trades. He very publicly fumed over the loss of childhood friend and former line mate, Pavol Demitra neglecting to mention Demitra's very disappointing production and equally similar playoff ineptitude despite being paid $4.5 million (U.S.) which many thought was over paid before he ever played a game for his latest team.

If this sounds familiar to Minnesota fans, it should since Kevin Garnett openly lobbied for his "Boys" Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson, and Joe Smith to stay regardless of their actual talent or production. All three players were re-signed to large, long term, cap-crippling contracts and the team drastically suffered as a result. Thank God "K.G." (as he is affection-ally called) is not a General Manager.

So where might Gaborik end up? Any list should start with the Boston Bruins. After all, they are an Eastern Conference team and Gaborik seems to believe he'd be more productive in more wide-open, more offensive system, perhaps a 100 point scorer. In addition to that, Minnesota has lost many of its sports stars to the Boston market one way or another through trade or acquisition and had to no doubt painfully watch them excel there at their expense. In baseball see David Ortiz, in basketball see Kevin Garnett, in Hockey see Manny Fernandez, and in football see Randy Moss, so why would Gaborik be any different?

I can hear the phones ringing now.

"Mr. Risebrough, a Mr. Chiarelli is on the line...."

If that is what you want, Gaborik go ahead but know that this past season is the closest you've ever come to scoring 100 points and even then you fell 17 point short. Know that Boston hasn't had a single 100 point scorer since rookie sensation Joe Juneau in 1992 and the team's leader last year for points was Marc Savard and at 78 points he scored less than you. 

He could also end up in Los Angeles, Montreal, or Ottawa if you believe the rumors. With Los Angeles being as inept as they are and in the Western Conference, its probably safe to rule them out.  

Minnesota has been in the playoffs three times in their eight season history which is pretty impressive when you consider their expansion cousins, the Columbus (OH) Blue Jackets have yet to get there and their recent predecessors, the Atlanta Thrashers (est. 1999) have only been there once--in 2006-07. Only the Nashville Predators (1998) have a more worthy feat, having earned the right four times.

The point is there are worse places to play and if Gaborik isn't careful he might land in one of those places. Minnesota, on the other hand, despite being labeled a small market team, actually spends right up to the NHL mandated salary cap every off season since its inception and will have no problem find a taker for his money, and his roster spot, should he choose-or be forced out of town.

Don't worry Minnesota fans, he's replaceable and while it may hurt at first to see a franchise original go, sometimes its better to cut your loses and move on.

All I know is whoever gets him will be getting a risky player that isn't reliable when you need him the most, evidenced by this playoff record and statistics. I also know that he's often injured (just as he is now at the time of this writing), and whose production and impact just won't match his heart or salary.

Buyer beware. You've been warned.