From Russo's Rants:
Gaborik is definitely hurt. He is clearly limping and has some sort of problem with the area of his leg I mentioned in today’s paper. Players are not allowed anymore to talk about their injuries, so you’ll have to deal with a Gaborik quote on the Devil Rays rather than his health.
I told Lightning assistant coach Wes Walz that Gaborik is hurt, and he quipped, "Let me guess, lower body." Bingo.
In case you hadn't ready John Shipley's article about the Wild winning the PR battle in the Marian Gaborik contract negotiations, it pretty clearly outlines the facts in the case of the Twin Cities vs. Marian Gaborik.
Here's a listing of comments from around the blogosphere on the Gaborik situation:
- Gaborik was basically a "threat" on ice, and not really the hockey equivalent to say, a Kevin Garnett that dominated the Minnesota basketball scene for 13 years. You don't keep a guy on a team because he has the potential to be a threat.
- Gaborik hasn't shown he can stay healthy and is more of a liability and a waste of cap space
- Bring out the gimp. Just like in Pulp Fiction. Gabby's the Gimp. Injury boy.
- The guy can't stay healthy to save his life!! I am finally sick and tired of him! I say we trade him for some good stuff and be done with it!
- Too bad ms. Gaborik is is hurt ( again), doesn't help the trade value at all
- No Gaby, no problem. This is a fun team to watch. Go Wild!
- Trade Gaborik! The Wild need to get rid of this always hurt sally.
- Lose Gaborik. Gimpy, I mean, Gabby needs to go. He's a "grass is greener on the other side" type of guy and he's a bit of a malcontent. He's all about the money. Let's see how much he loves playing in half-filled arenas for bad teams.
- I'd take a team of talented blood and guts type/grinder players over a bunch of ultra talented primadonas anyday=Gaborik types (Ovechkin and Crosby being the exception). My team would beat a team of those glamore boys two out of three games, which would not only put you in the playoffs, but give you a better chance at success there. Gaborik, in no way, is worth 8 mil. a year, especially when he doesn't want to play here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRADE him already!
Now, I don't agree with these individuals, especially the last guy. However, if Marian Gaborik turned down $8.5M/year for 10 years, and it wasn't actually his decision, he needs to fire Ron Salcer, because he's not going to get that offer anywhere outside of the KHL. If he did get that offer and turned it down on his own, then he's an idiot.
Thanks to hockey writer Peter Matijek, who sent Russo the translation of the Gaborik interview with Lubos Toth yesterday in Sunrise:
Minnesota’s biggest star stayed in the locker room on Thursday. An injury
kept Marian Gaborik off the Wild’s roster. What kind of injury, the club
would not reveal, nor did it permit Gaborik to tell.
Minnesota announced you were not going to play because of a lower body
injury. What does that mean?
I can not comment on that, unfortunately.
Can you talk about when you are expected to return to ice?
We are going to see. It is no serious injury, I hope it is going to be
soon.
The Wild have started well into the new season, even if a number of stars
have left the team. Are you happy (with the way the team is doing)?
I have played only two games, this one was going to be the third. We
have won all three of them, that is a pretty good start. There is quite a
lot of new faces in the team, but I have felt very well on the ice so far.
Since the beginning of the season, the question if you are staying on the
team, has been dominating the news. What can you tell about that, as of
today?
I am just trying to focus on hockey. How the things are going to happen,
we are just going to see. I am playing here, I obviously want to stay here,
and do not think about future for now.