Marian Gaborik Situation....

As we sit here on August 18th, NHL training camp for my favorite hockey team begins in less than a month. This time of year usually begins my transition from enjoying golf and being outdoors to wanting to be indoors and watching hockey. In years past, these next few weeks are an exciting time and filled with anticipation. However, this year, my favorite team...the Minnesota Wild...are filled with a massive decision to make on a player that will ultimately decide on what type of season it will be in downtown St. Paul. Marian Gaborik, the first player ever drafted by the Wild and all time leading scorer, enters the final year of his contract that will pay him a lofty 7.5 million dollars. I will repeat that so you know it is not a typo- Marian Gaborik will make 7.5 million dollars this year.

That kind of contract puts him as the 11th highest player in the NHL. First of all, there is no logical reason to pay him that much money. "Gabby" gets hurt way to much and misses way to many games to get that kind of coin paid to him, mind you that there is now a salary cap in the NHL. Also, does he produce enough to get paid that much money? Is he worth that kind of contract? Can you name 11 better players to justify his money? Lets see...Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Heatley, Lidstrom, Thornton, Spezza, Lecavalier, Iginla, Pheneuf, Kovalchuk and for good measure...Kiprusoff. That is just a short list of players I would take over Gaborik. Some are paid more than him, others a little less. The point is that Marian is asking and the Wild are willing to pay him a contract that will average 8.5 million dollars a year for 4-7 years. That would vault him from the 11th highest paid player, roughly, into the top 5. To date, the only players signed that would make more would be Ovechkin, Crosby, Lecavalier and I believe Malkin will be there next year.

I would obviously take any of those players over Marian on my team anyday, to quote coach Lemaire, "there is no doubt." Off the top of my head, I could name probably at least 15-20 more players that I would rather have on this team than Gaborik, for less that that type of money. He is a great player but in an era where there is a slary cap, you would be border line clinacaly insane to sign him with that type of money. The fans need to realize that the main goal of professional sports is to put a competitve team on the playing surface and win championships. Ask yourself if keeping Gabby around for that type of money would help acomplish both of those goals? Maybe a competitive team a few of those years but would it bring Lord Stanley to Minnesota? No, it would not.

Marian is creeping up on his prime and might even be starting it right now. What signs of consistantly staying healthy has he shown? What signs of being the go-to-guy and carry a team offensively BY HIMSELF has he shown? Remember, he has had Demitra feeding him and now Pavol is gone. By contrast, Crosby and Ovechkin can create their own chances and convert. The salary cap is a little less that 60 million dollars so is he worth tying up almost 9 of it in this player, the answer is NO. I know fans will be upset and see this as another Minnesota team not wanting to keep one of their stars but there are options we can explore together. Yes, you will have to get your kids a new jersey t-shirt or re-number your Wild jersey but I promise we will be better off! How? Here is how.

We trade him. Plain and simple. Get a lot of value for him now..instead of a little or nothing later. Plus, no distractions for the team in training camp or during the season. Who would want him, here is an idea.

There is a team in the Eastern Confrence, where Gabby said he would love to play during last year's All-Star game, that would love a young star on the rise. They play in a market where to the south, there is Ovechkin and to the east, Crosby. Their main star from last year is not there and they play in a market that needs a star to draw intrest. That team, is the New York Rangers. Gone is Jagr, who else do they have? Drury or Gomez, don't think so. However, they have young talent. Young talent though, does not get it done in New York City. Plus, the Rangers saw first hand last year the skills Gaborik has when he scored 5 goals in a game against them. Having the speed of Gaborik would help draw on the east coast and put them on the market that has Crosby and Ovechkin in it. I would trade him there for players like Brandon Dubinsky (22 years old, Center), Ryan Callahan (23 years old, right wing), Marc Staal (21 years old, defenseman) and draft picks. There is no guarantee all these players or draft picks could be had for Gabby, but why not toss in Skoula and just get young right now and develop this team?

Just a random though/rant...in conclusion, there is no reason to pay Gabby that much money when he just seams not to deserve it, in my point of view. I would rather trade him for young good talent and build a foundation to compete with a young team. Does it work? Ask the teams in Phoenix, Edmonton, Chicago and Philly. All these teams have lots of young stars and are better than the Wild with Gaborik on our team.