The New York Rangers 2010-11 season
was one in which many players overachieved compared to expectations. Marian Gaborik was not one of them scoring
only 22 goals in his second season in New York after lighting up Broadway with
42 in his first year under the bright lights.
To help Gaborik regain his prior form the Rangers went shopping this
month and bought the biggest item on the market in the form of center Brad
Richards. It is not Richards job to fix
Gaborik, but the skills he brings to the table should give Gaborik more opportunities
and even more importantly more consistency in who he is playing with nightly.
In an interview with Larry Brooks of
the New
York Post, Gaborik shared his thoughts on what it will be like to play with
Richards during the upcoming season.
"I respect all the players I've been with but I am very excited to get the chance to play with Richie," Gaborik told The Post by phone yesterday. "I've watched him play throughout his career and always admired his game; the way he sees the ice, the way he moves the puck, the way he makes his teammates better.”
One of the key questions for the
pair will be just how quickly they can mesh to bring out the top end results
that are expected from two players of their caliber.
"If I'm with Richie, it's going to be very exciting. You can never say how much time it might take to develop chemistry, you need to spend time together away from the ice and develop trust in each other, but I'm really looking forward to getting out there with him."
After the struggles he went through last
season it is good to see Gaborik excited about the possibilities for next
season. Expect Gaborik to come back in
2011-12 with the mentality set on proving that last season was the aberration
of his two years in New York and return to prior form. The combination of the personal chemistry
between those two and the decision on who will be the third member of the line
could be key to determining how well each produce this season. The Rangers have numerous options that could
fill that role, but the real key is the relationship between Gaborik and
Richard which Gaborik is hopeful will work to the point where the line juggling
can end.
"I've been used to shuffling my whole career," said Gaborik. "Maybe the reason last year there were so many changes is that I didn't play well enough, but hopefully Richie and I will be so good together there won't be any reason to change."
It would be a novel idea
for the Rangers to have consistent lines throughout the year or in contrast to
many nights the last few years, just for multiple shifts before the movement
begins. If Gaborik and Richards click as
a duo they give the Rangers the foundation of three different lines for this
season. Add that duo and whomever is
their third to Dubinsky, Anisimov, Callahan and Fedotenko, Boyle, Prust and the
Rangers should have a level of continuity that will bode well for them as the
season progresses.
The styles of Gaborik
and Richards should complement one another very well and give the Rangers the
elite top line threat they have been lacking the past few years. If this works to the level it is capable the
Rangers will truly have a chance to become a contender this year.
