Gaborik's Prowess on Display, but Here Come Those Injury Questions ...

NEW YORK -- With each goal Marian Gaborik scores, with each goal he sets up -- two goals and one assist Monday in the Rangers' 5-2 win over Phoenix -- it's impossible to not think about the most startling trade of the offseason.

The deal that had nothing to do with Gaborik, yet everything to do with the Rangers signing Gaborik.

On July 1, at the opening of unrestricted free agency, Rangers general manager Glen Sather magically -- or perhaps through hypnosis -- unloaded Scott Gomez in a trade with Montreal. As if ridding themselves of Gomez's carefree approach, five years and $33.5 million wasn't enough, the Rangers brought back third-line forward Chris Higgins and a pair of prospects, including Ryan McDonagh, the 2007 first-round pick.

It was the kind of where-are-the-pictures heist in which you could envision Sather calling all his buddies in the Rangers office and saying, "You won't friggin' believe this, but ... "

"There's only a handful of scary offensive players in the league. I'm glad we have one of them."
-- Brandon Dubinsky on Marian Gaborik Believe it all right. Freed of the chokehold of Gomez's contract -- yes, one Sather erred badly in offering in the first place -- the Rangers were back in business. Instead of looking at a '09-10 with Gomez and maybe a prayer for the seventh or eighth seed in the East, the Rangers could make a move to gain a chance to dream of home-ice advantage in the first round and possibly more.

The free agent signing of Marian Gaborik the day after dumping Gomez on Montreal gave the Rangers that chance.

"With his speed and his ability to dipsy-doodle with the puck," said teammate Vinny Prospal (who really said "dipsy-doodle"), "he makes the game easier for all of us. He's one of the best players in the league."

After Monday night, Gaborik is now the No. 2 scorer in the league. His 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 12 games place him behind only LA's Anze Kopitar and just ahead of Alexander Ovechkin and Joe Thornton.

Rangers coach John Tortorella said Gaborik "makes plays that we can't teach." Goalie Henrik Lundqvist said, "Gabby shows up every night, and every night he can be the difference maker." Center Brandon Dubinsky said, "He's so dangerous that even when he doesn't have the puck, he creates opportunities for his linemates. There's only a handful of scary offensive players in the league. I'm glad we have one of them."

Of course, the universal proclamation of Gaborik as one of the game's top players almost always includes the addendum, "when he's healthy." The All-Star right wing has missed 136 games with injuries over his eight-year NHL career. An assortment of hip, knee and groin injuries limited Gaborik to just 17 games last season with Minnesota.

On cue, Gaborik missed the final eight minutes of the win over Phoenix on Monday night. He limped to the dressing room in the third period with what appeared to be a leg injury. Tortorella said the game was out of reach and the team decided to shut the star down for the night. About 45 minutes after the game, Gaborik said his injury was unrelated to any of his injuries from last season in Minnesota and hoped to play in the Rangers' next game -- on Wednesday against the Islanders.

"We'll see how everything is in the morning," he said after the game.

When Gaborik didn't come out to take a bow as the game's First Star, Rangers fans had their first chance to ponder what their team could look like without him. So far, Gaborik's play is making the Rangers' five-year, $37.5 million investment in him look wise -- and Montreal's reach for Gomez look foolish. Now, if only he can stay healthy.