If Team Europe's job wasn't already difficult enough, going up against a Team Canada side that is rocking all kinds of depth, they will now have to do so without Marian Gaborik.The speedy Slovak reportedly suffered a lower-body injury of a significant nature against Sweden in the semi-final game on Sunday, but was able to finish the game. The Los Angeles Kings have now come out and reported that they expect Gaborik to miss the next eight weeks with a foot injury, one could assume a broken bone, which will not only force him out of the best-of-three finals at the World Cup, but should cost him more than a month of the regular season as well.
Gaborik's play at the World Cup was likely getting a few poolies excited for a sleeper pick, as his numbers last season may not have him high up on a number of lists. My current projection was for a 20-point season and that probably would have been bumped up before this injury, but I am more inclined to keep it about the same right now.
In the World Cup pool, Gaborik wasn't chosen, so his absence won't make an immediate impact on the numbers, but Europe losing one of their better scorers in this tourney will certainly hurt their chances further for the upset.
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