01/14/2013: Tortorella lauds Gabs' new mettle

[TC82]

John Tortorella praises Marian Gaborik's toughness as NY Rangers winger shows up healthy to camp after injury-plagued 2012 season
Gaborik, 30, returned healthy to open training camp Sunday despite playing most of the 2012 postseason with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and undergoing surgery on June 6.
By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sunday, January 13, 2013, 11:35 PM


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/h...bs-new-mettle-article-1.1239493#ixzz2Hw75U0rR

“From the first day he’s come here till now, what he is, he has changed,” said Tortorella, who has coached Gaborik since his arrival in New York in 2009-10. “He’s always on the ice. I remember the first year, it was like pulling teeth to get him on the ice at certain times to practice. And he has grown mentally. The year that he had last year, the playoffs that he had last year and going through the injury he had, to me he’s still growing as a player. He’s still growing mentally. And he has to be a huge part of it this year.”

I have big expectations for Gaborik. Hopefully his shot hasn't suffered from the injury the way Jagr's did after his shoulder blew up.

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[Callagraves]

For torts to say that about Gabby, I think, is pretty big.

Torts doesn't dole out compliments, least of all about Gaborik

 

[darko]

45-50 points for Gabby.

 

[TC82]

I also voted 45-49. If he doesn't have ny major lingering effects from the shoulder surgery, he should be able to score 20 goals. I was thinking along the lines of 25 goals, 20 assists.

Also depends on who he plays with, though. Will Torts keep the 3-headed mosnter of Gabby, Richards, Nash together or will the line juggling begin in game 3 already and Gabs ends up with Stepan / Boyle?

 

[Baby Punisher]

I went conservative on the 35-39 side.

 

[pld459666]

He's basically been a PGP for the Rangers, don't see that magically jumping significantly now, especially now that he is shifting wings.

 

[McSauer]

Do any of you guys think that switching wings will have an adverse event on his production this season?

Also, what is the rationale behind him switching wings--isn't Nash more comfortable playing both wings while Gabby has mainly stuck to RW? Does this make him and Hags the top two LW's then?

I hope (and it sure sounds like) Gabby will be POSSESSED this year--loving it!

 

[haveandare]

Do any of you guys think that switching wings will have an adverse event on his production this season?

Also, what is the rationale behind him switching wings--isn't Nash more comfortable playing both wings while Gabby has mainly stuck to RW? Does this make him and Hags the top two LW's then?

I hope (and it sure sounds like) Gabby will be POSSESSED this year--loving it!

It's in the other thread. Torts wants to split Nash and Gaborik. He wants Nash with Richards, which puts Gaborik with Stepan. Stepan's tendenacy due to his handedness is to pass to the LW, so Torts thinks it's a good idea to put that line's sniper on the left.

I think this will be a good year for Gaborik. Torts doesn't throw praise around blindly.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

35-39 seems realistic.