I've always had Gaborik pegged as a big-fish-in-small-pond kind of player, so I'm cautiously optimistic that he will have a highly productive season in CLB.
Plus, it's a contract year and this may be his last chance at a big contract.
There are some interesting parallels between that Rangers team in 09-10 and this Columbus team. Scoring by committee (minus Gaborik), awesome goalie (though Bobrovsky has to prove that he's as good..) and a new-ish coach with a team that should be on the rise.
That said, I still think the Rangers were then (and have been since) a better team than Columbus and still are now. Gaborik has gotten 3 years older since that time and I think that will play a factor. His situation may not be sooo much worse in Columbus (though I think it still is, if even by a smaller margin than I believe) but I would have pegged him for a decline in NY anyway, so I think the likelihood of a decline is not improved by being in Columbus. I don't think we should expect huge numbers. Scoring in the NHL is down overall and if he hits 75-80 pts that has to be considered huge. I'm betting he won't and would likely place my expectations in the 60-65 range. Less chance of being massively disappointed.
Shall we say:
Hopeful: 70-75+
Likely: 60-65+
Bad case: 55-60+
Worst case: 50 in a year full of injuries.
Blades of Steel
9 Team Full Keeper - Pts Only (G,A,W,SO)
Crosby, Wheeler, Bergeron, Forsberg, Connor, Kopitar, E.Lindholm, Pastrnak, DeBrincat, Fiala
Jones, Klingberg, Hamilton, Theodore, Letang
Saros, Shesterkin
Garland, Vrana, Bjorkstrand, Verhaege, Backstrom, Karlsson, Perunovich, Spurgeon, Pulock, Hellebuyck
I've always had Gaborik pegged as a big-fish-in-small-pond kind of player, so I'm cautiously optimistic that he will have a highly productive season in CLB.
Plus, it's a contract year and this may be his last chance at a big contract.
RETIRED