Jim Souhan: Wild should keep its star despite his flop

DENVER — Marian Gaborik failed to do his job in the playoffs. He did not score a goal, and scoring goals is his duty, the reason the Wild pays him so much money.

The Wild's first-round playoff loss and Gaborik's inability to alter the series means the team's potentially tumultuous offseason might revolve around the Slovak star as much as any individual. Gaborik can become a free agent after next season. He is a star who has discussed playing in the Eastern Conference, and has hinted he might like to play for a more offensive-minded coach than Jacques Lemaire. The Wild at least will have to discuss trading him, to avoid losing him in free agency in the summer of 2009.

The alternative would be to sign him to a long-term deal, make him even more of a franchise centerpiece than he already is, take the gamble he will become a more dominant player and justify making up to 20 percent of the team's salary cap figure.

After watching him struggle against the Avalanche, it would be easy for team management to decide the Great Gabby ain't so great, that he's not worth the immense investment he would require.

That would be a mistake.

There is no reason to make excuses for Gaborik's playoff performance, but this six-game goal-less stretch should be viewed in the context of his career, and the Wild's popularity.

Gaborik remains the most entertaining player in franchise history, and probably the best player in franchise history, even if Mikko Koivu's all-around game is more in keeping with Lemaire's philosophies and Brian Rolston was the team's best player against the Avalanche.

Gaborik isn't the Wild's problem. He is a symbol of the problems facing the franchise.

Gaborik has played well alongside countryman and friend Pavol Demitra, but the Wild never has allowed him to play full-time with a center who creates scoring chances for him. Instead, Lemaire keeps exhibiting line dyslexia and Gaborik sometimes finds himself skating with a rookie or unskilled veteran.

He should receive more support.

And while his playoff performance was disappointing, especially in Games 1 and 5, I can't figure out how the Wild will get better without him, unless a trade can be made that acquires a scorer of similar pedigree, which seems highly unlikely.

The Wild should not be taking any steps backward at this point. This franchise sells out every game, draws remarkable local TV ratings and has trouble scoring goals even with Gaborik; what do you think would happen to fan enthusiasm if the Wild trades its centerpiece and scores even fewer goals, if that's possible? What do you think would happen to the Wild if, without Gaborik, it can't compete in a remarkably deep conference?

The Wild hasn't won a playoff series since 2003. That is indefensible considering the praise regularly heaped on General Manager Doug Risebrough, Lemaire and such players as Gaborik and Rolston. When a team fails in the playoffs the way the Wild has the past two years, blowing up the roster might sound like a wise idea.

But Gaborik should stay. He is the only player on the team who is as well-known as the place the team plays, the only player who has crossover appeal to casual hockey fans, the one player who on any given night might be worth the considerable price of admission to a Wild game.

And this playoff loss, coming at the end of a season in which he proved he can remain healthy, could become the motivation for him to become more dominant in next year's playoffs.

The guy is only 26. He's a fine young player who might get even better. Without him, the Wild won't.