Asked about his possible future in Minnesota, Gaborik took a deep breath.

"I was here since Day One, so I've gone through a lot," he said. "It was a lot of fun, you know? But now I'm focused on what's going on right now, focusing on every game right now.

"That stuff, we can think about after the season. We have a couple of games left, and that's what I'm focusing on: every game, every shift, every period. I'll try to keep doing what I'm doing off the ice as well and just keep getting ready for games."

Asked if the hip surgery in January solved the problems that caused recurring groin injuries, he said, "It's going in the right direction, and I'm very confident and very happy I had it done. I think it really helped me, and next year I'm really confident I'm going to be stronger than ever."