The Los Angeles Kings are in a difficult position when it comes to Marian Gaborik. They clearly would like to bring him back after acquiring him at the trade deadline sparked their offense and he proved to be one of their most effective players in the 2014 playoffs, but they are limited by their proximity to the salary cap ceiling.
They have reportedly offered him a three-year, $15 million contract, which would be a pay cut for Gaborik and probably less than he would make on the open market. So the question is if Gaborik would be willing to take less to stay with a team he just won the Stanley Cup with.
In that regard, a recent statement by Marian Gaborik’s agent, Ron Salcer, should give Kings fans some hope.
“I think Marian enjoyed, not just the time here, but everything about the experience,” Salcer told the Los Angeles Times. “I think to continue that is something he would like and the team would like. So I would hope we could come to a meeting of the minds and get that done.”
It’s worth adding that if the Kings successfully re-sign Gaborik, then that will likely negatively impact their chances of re-signing defensemen Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene.