At the Los Angeles Kings’ state of the franchise event yesterday, GM Rob Blake revealed to season ticket holders and media that Marian Gaborik had undergone a “non-surgical” procedure and is still unlikely for camp. That news comes from Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period and the NHL Network, who reports the procedure was to repair ligament and tendon damage in his knee.
While it’s not clear if this is a new procedure or the same one Blake spoke about back in April, but it does cast further doubt on the start of Gaborik’s season. With the less-than-forthcoming way that the Kings are explaining the procedure and injury itself, there deserves to be some speculation on whether or not the team is planning on using some long-term injured reserve time for the aging winger. Gaborik for what it’s worth has posted several videos and photos of him training or biking recently, showing that he’s at least healthy enough to be in the gym.
Gaborik is coming off another dreadful season in which he registered just 21 points and will play this season at 35-years old. With still four years remaining on his contract, there was thought that the Kings might buy him out this summer. That couldn’t happen with his injury, and the opportunity is starting to disappear. With his front-loaded contract, a buyout next summer would result in a still fairly hefty cap hit.