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Thread: Gaborik projections

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by ross10019 View Post
    Was his scenario in 2009/2010, the 86-point season, really all that much better than the scenario he has now?

    His linemates were for the most part Dubinsky/Prospal. Besides Gabby, only Prospal hit the 44-point mark. The team was saddled with the Drury and Redden contracts, and they were massively underperforming. Avery was a huge distraction if anything. They claimed Erik Christensen off waivers in an effort to boost their offense, Erik Christensen!

    If anything, I think his situation now is better for him to have a couple of huge seasons. He's got a team that is quietly building some really balance scoring throughout the top 9, which is going to cause problems for opposing defenses. Their D is getting to the point where the powerplay is going to be pretty solid, pretty soon (although not there yet).
    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

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    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.


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