Gaborik and Torts Agree: Rebound needed

In the exit conversation between the coach and the star player, there was middle ground: Both Marian Gaborik and John Tortorella believe that with a renewed commitment, the speedy sniper can rebound from an unsatisfying second season with the Rangers. And both agreed that Gaborik cannot be the only player with top-line skill in the lineup.
“The lines were always changed,’ said Gaborik, who scored just 22 goals after recording 42 in his first year in New York. “It would be definitely great to have someone you could click with. There are a few free agents out there that are top guys, so … you know that they’re going to, they always have, try everything to get guys.”
In what he described as a “very good meeting”, Tortorella said Gaborik understands that the team needs a vintage Gaborik to succeed. “I think he’ll use that as motivation,” said Tortorella. “He sees that we have a really good foundation but we need to be able to be more consistent skillfully. ...There’s skill on our hockey club---Gabby has top-line skill---but top-line skill is something we need to add. We need to look at all avenues.”
One of those avenues may lead to signing free agent center Brad Richards or trading for someone like Ottawa center Jason Spezza. But Gaborik, who is healthy enough to play for Team Slovakia in the World Championships later this month, must return to the All-Star form of not only last season, but in Minnesota, when he scored 30 goals three times and 42 and 38 once.
“Just regroup,” he said when asked how he previously bounced back. “It’s not like the season was the worst of my career. Disappointing, but it’s not tragedy….Over the summer I’m going to address things and train hard and come back in great shape and bring it to another level, that’s for sure.”
Gaborik attributed his struggles to injury and some to adjusting to the grinding style. “We created an identity, so we played, I think, differently. But I think I bought into it and I think I did a lot of good things differently, more battle and stuff.”
Still, the result, said Tortorella, “certainly wasn’t up to his standard…However he needs to re-commit himself to make this work and get into a better mindset, he’ll do. One thing that’s promising to me is that I saw it; the first year he was here, and hopefully he comes back and does it again. This wasn’t him this year, for whatever reason. He knows that.”