Rangers sign Marian Gaborik to 5-Year, $37.5 Million Contract

As expected, the New York Rangers have made a splash in the free-agent sweepstakes.  Rangers GM Glen Sather announced late Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with star free-agent, Marian Gaborik.  

The Slovakian right-wing had a troubling season in Minnesota last year, playing in only 17 games caused by a nagging hip injury.  Even though his time was limited, he was still able to scrape together 23 points.  Gaborik has had surgery since then and the Rangers are hoping that he can return to his old form.

Gaborik's best year came in 2007-08 when he amassed 42 goals and 83 points in 77 games played.  He was always a bright spot for the Minnesota Wild, until the State of Hockey saw the likes of Mikko Koivu and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.  He will join a Rangers lineup that has been depleted since losing to Washington in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.  Markus Naslund has announced his retirement from the NHL, while Scott Gomez has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens and Nik Antropov is on the free-agent market.

This is a smart move for the Rangers.  Acquiring Gaborik for the top line can only help a struggling Rangers team.  The only downfall is Gaborik's recent injury history.  If Gaborik can stay healthy, this may prove to be one of the best signings of the off-season.