 |
| Doug Pensinger/Getty Images |
Marian Gaborik is the New York Rangers most skilled offensive
player without question. The problem for
the team right now is they have a player who seems unwilling to consistently do
what is necessary to have those talents make a true difference for his
team. Instead what you have is player
with star talent who is playing enigmatic hockey where he will show up for
certain games, but then go invisible on other nights. Worse than that fact though is the fact that
a team which is built on an identity of toughness and grit, with a next man up
mentality has their most skilled offensive player not fit that mold.
The beauty of this Rangers team has been the idea that
everyone plays for the name on the front and not the one on the back; that all
guys get what they earn, but when it comes to Gaborik the same rules need not
apply. We change lines regularly to get
him going. There is no other player on
the team we try so hard to accommodate in this way. We hear excuses for why he might be playing
poorly whether they be injuries, confidence or lack of quality with him. No other player is given this level of excuse
and when anyone else struggles it is a statement on them and their quality as
opposed to everyone else.
The Rangers got everything they could have hoped for out of
Gaborik last season when he posted a phenomenal statistical with 42 goals and
44 assists in 76 games. The season that Gabby put up last year led a lot
of fans to expect he could repeat it year in and year out or even exceed it
coming into this season. Personally I thought that was the best they were
going to get from Gaborik and maybe just maybe the best way to improve the
overall team was to move Gaborik while his value was at its highest point. Back in July with the combination of young
assets and seeming desperation to acquire a big name scorer I suggested looking
into moving Gaborik to the Kings for a package that at the time consisted of
Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and maybe Jonathan Bernier. Today I want
reexamine the idea of moving Gaborik, not just as an exercise in trading him, but
in other areas.
The Rangers have preached about how this team is all about
the young guys and the core and whatever other way they want to phrase the same
concept. To that point, how about we
really turn the club over to the likes of Dubinsky, Stepan, Anisimov, Boyle and
when he comes back Callahan. Make this
their team and take away any excuses they might mentally have in waiting for
Gaborik to save the day. Let them do
what they have done all year and win collectively as a team while taking added
individual responsibilities that will only help the franchise down the road.
I am well aware that the Rangers as a whole lack elite
talent and skill so taking away their most talented offensive player seems
counterintuitive and maybe even counterproductive. The Rangers will not get a single talent back
in a deal that today can be the same NHL player that Gaborik can be at his
best, but then again the Rangers are where they are without Gaborik playing
near his best. This team is where it is
not because of the efforts of Gaborik.
If anything they have gotten where they are because some of them learned
that without him in the lineup they have the ability to step into bigger roles
and help carry the team. Other than
against the Isles at their place, and maybe last night cause he was one to
score late, I cannot think of one game that this team definitely loses without
Gaborik. For guys like Boyle, Dubinsky, and Callahan I can immediately
think of 3-4 games where their play alone helped this team win a game.
Gaborik’s fantasy stats do look pretty good on paper since
he has put up 11 goals, 11 assists in 25 games played this season.
However as I have written about in a few different ways so far this season
those numbers for Gaborik ring hollow as 7 of his goals and 3 of his assists
have come in 3 games against the Islanders and Oilers. The only other
multi-point game came against Ottawa who is not exactly one of the leagues
powerhouse teams. Take away those 4 games and now Gaborik’s numbers look
a lot less desirable as he has 4 goals and 6 assists in the other 21 games this
season.
If Gabby wants to get with the rest of the team philosophy and
put in the work to be physical and attack then we can stop the discussion and I
will take his skill as a top 10 scorer in the league. Right now I see no signs he wants to do that
on a consistent basis and for my money I can think of at least 30 players in
the league who are better than him.
Personally I am just tired of the way the rest of the team is flipped
upside down trying to get Gaborik to be where as a star player he is supposed
to be able to get on his own. We juggle
lines, we make excuses, and we ignore games where he was invisible because of
what could possibly happen if he gets right.
The only consistent thing Marian “the magician” has done
this year is disappear. This includes
last night and I know the unfound presence for the first 59 minutes is excused
for some because he scored the goal, but even on the goal itself it was not
something special done by but rather for Gaborik. All the hard, difficult work to create the
goal was done by everyone around Gabby. Dan
Girardi makes three different excellent plays, Artem Anisimov and Brandon
Dubinsky both play a critical role all to give Gaborik the puck where he could
do something. For me it is the epitome of the difference between a scorer
and a great player. No doubt it was a
huge goal for the team, but the team also could have used him as a threat the
other 59 minutes.
Yes it is unfair to pick on Gaborik for what he is for the
salary he is paid when he produces so much more than Drury for predominantly
similar amounts, but the difference is Gaborik has value around the league and
can be moved while Drury is not going anywhere. I am not suggesting you
just look to dump Gaborik for whatever you can get, but if you take a team like
the Kings who are still seeking that sniper type player and get some of their
vast young talents I make the move. The kind of package I am talking
about is something that brings the Rangers back a prospect the caliber of Brayden
Schenn, an upside defender in Viatcheslav Voynov / Derek Forbort, with the
possibility of winger and Toffoli/Moller.
To get that kind of package would be tremendous and frankly
right now I doubt LA would do that with those guys all playing at extremely
high levels at the moment, but if they did I take it because you get tremendous
amounts of talent and huge cap savings. Schenn for me is the key and if you get him anything else is negotiable in the deal. I watch him even before his breakout at the WJC this past week (7G, 7A in 4 games) and I see a clone of Mike Richards. I know I am supposed to hate Richards for his personality, but that does not mean I cannot love the all-around game he has. Voynov and Forbort are both potential PP QB's on defense with Voynov being closer and Forbort probably having more overall upside. Toffoli and Moller are both wingers that just have a knack for putting up points despite not having the greatest measureables. Toffoli was someone I really wanted at the draft this year, but we took Christian Thomas in the second instead. While Thomas is having a great year Toffoli is on another level with 34G, 32A in 38GP including a five goal game the other night. Obviously the Kings are not
the only team who would have interest if Gabby were made available just an
example, though I have a couple others in mind.
The other thing you get by making the move is what I talked
about above where you officially turn the team over to the young core and let
them take full ownership of what happens. For some the idea of dealing Gaborik will undoubtedly mean I am
advocating throwing in the towel on the season, but I do not believe that for a
second or I would not be advocating doing it. For me it is a move that
aids our young players now, brings in more young talent, saves money and looks
to the future where Gaborik’s health and production will likely only decline
over the last 3 ½ years of his deal. The
team gets to cement its identity and I believe they rally around it.
Maybe the whole idea is crazy, but right now I think it is
one that should be at least considered. Tell me if you think the Rangers
should think about moving him; what you would want to move him for (no
restrictions, just please try to keep it realistic).
