NEW YORK — The Columbus Blue Jackets have shown they’re serious about making the playoffs, acquiring forward Marian Gaborik from the New York Rangers.
Gaborik has had an off-year offensively in New York with nine goals and 10 assists in 35 games. But he is a proven scorer and is just one year removed from a 41-goal, 35-assist campaign in 2011-12.
The left-wing from Trencin, Slovakia, has 333 goals and 333 assists in 757 career games with Minnesota and New York. His best statistical season was in 2009-10, when he had 42 goals and 44 assists in his first season in New York.
Columbus is currently 11th in the Western Conference, one point behind eighth-place St. Louis.
Gaborik is in the fourth year of a five-year, US$37.5-million contract.
The Rangers will receive forward Derick Brassard, defenceman John Moore and forward Derek Dorsett and a sixth-round pick in 2014.
New York is in a similar playoff situation to Columbus. The Rangers are in ninth place in the East, two points behind the New York Islanders.