Cup Nets Gaborik Seven Years on the West Coast

The Los Angeles Kings have reportedly got their man and they have locked him up for the long-term.

On Wednesday, the Kings and Marian Gaborik agreed upon a 7-year deal, worth $34.3 million, which gives him an annual cap hit of around $4.9 million.  The 32-year old Slovakian was set to become an unrestricted free agent next week, but the Kings rallied around some negotiations to help reel in a big piece of their Stanley Cup winning team.

Gaborik had another sub-par regular season between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Kings, playing in only 41 games, scoring 11 goals and registering a total of 30 points.  That was good enough for 277th overall in pool scoring, which is very disappointing from a guy who gets picked in some mid-to-high rounds.

However, it was the playoffs where Gaborik really shone brightest for the Kings, as he led the playoffs in goals scored with 14 and was 4th in points with 22.  Thanks to his poor regular season, he didn't even feature on the Playoff Pool selection sheet, which was a damn shame.

It was his playoff performance that easily earned him the new deal and his play would have likely done him some good on the open market, hence the term of his contract.  The overall cap hit is very friendly to the Kings, who have established themselves as a team that players would want to play for and in this case, take less money to do so.

It looks like the Kings only really have to add some talent to their blueline, by re-signing or some clever trades, as they now have 19 players sorted out on their projected roster, including 12 forwards, five defenders and their goaltending tandem.  They have about $8 million left to spend on four potential roster spots, which says that depth will be the only thing that they are looking for.  Whether or not they add from the inside or not, will only be told by time.

Gaborik has been a favourite player of mine for quite some time, but his tendency to get and/or be injured should be more than enough reason not to give the guy a 7-year deal, you would think.  Instead, the Kings have rewarded him with a huge deal and despite the cap-friendly price tag, this still has the potential to backfire a bit.  Sure, the Kings could trade that deal away in a year or two, but if things go South for Gaborik, the return won't be there, especially for a 34-year old that has injury concerns.

On the flip side, if Gaborik does stay healthy and plays five out of the seven years in Los Angeles, this deal should be considered a steal.