Minnesota Wild: Shoud Gaborik Stay, Or Shoud He Go?

The Minnesota Wild starts the 2008-09 NHL season with a dilemma: Should they sign their biggest star Marian Gaborik, trade him, or let him go to free agency next year?

We in Minnesota have been down this road before: Letting go of a big-name player because he has either become too expensive for a small-market team, or has become frustrated with his situation in which the team will never move forward as long as he's still there. That's why the Twins parted with Johan Santana, and the Timberwolves said adios to Kevin Garnett.

In Gaborik's case, he's a prolific goal-scorer stuck on a defensive-minded team coached by Jacques Lemaire (who also has to decide whether he wants to stick around). And for the first time in anyone's memory, Gaborik played a whole season without doing some kind of damage to his groin.

The defending Northwest Division champions have a goal of getting past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs--something they haven't done since the spring of 2003. To accomplish that, they brought back Andrew Brunette from Colorado and Owen Nolan from Calgary to help out Gaborik, and said goodbye to Brian Rolston (to New Jersey) and Pavol Demitra (to Vancouver).

Depending on what the Wild decide to do with Gaborik, they have a decent shot at making the playoffs again. The division title, however, will go to Calgary.

NHL 2008-09

The season actually began last weekend in Europe, as the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators played games that matter for paying customers in Prague and Stockholm. The NHL is considering expanding to the Continent sometime in the near future, once they settle their differences with a Russian-based superleague. Why do that when they're having problems growing the game in certain parts of the United States?

Self-described "hockey mom" (and vice-presidential candidate) Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' home opener. Does this mean that Barack Obama might do the ceremonial tip-off at an NBA game?

The Chicago Blackhawks are apparently back from the dead, getting big crowds at United Center to watch a much-improved team. They will host this year's outdoor game on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field (curse alert) against Detroit. And Chicago superstation WGN will be televising some of their games. Unlike other leagues, the NHL must be thrilled to get all the extra exposure.

The Detroit Red Wings are everybody's choice to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, which would be quite a feat since the Wings were the last team to do that--ten years ago. It's hard to see how, with an aging roster and the letdown that inevitably follows a championship. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost to the Wings in six games last spring, are more than ready to take that final step.

Here's who we think will be spending their spring on the ice instead of the golf course:

East Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.

West Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.