10 best free agent signings in New York Rangers history

#4: Marian Gaborik (2009)

27-year-old Marian Gaborik was at his peak with he signed a five-year, $37 million deal in the summer of 2009.

The Rangers had their eyes on Gaborik ever since December 2007 when he put five goals past Henrik Lundqvist in one of the most embarrassing losses in team history. Gaborik was signed after playing in only 17 games for the Wild while recovering from hip surgery. In Gaborik, the Rangers thought they were getting one of the top natural goal scorers in the NHL.

They were right.

Finally free of the defense-first philosophy of Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, Gaborik blossomed in New York. He was a scoring threat every time he touched the puck and finished with 42 goals and 44 assists.

In his second season he missed 20 games with various injuries, but still notched 22 goals. His third season was one of his finest, as he was a second team All-Star and played all 82 games, scoring 41 goals.

It was in the 2012 playoffs that Gaborik’s Rangers career hit a snag. Gaborik was one of the veterans singled out by Ranger coach John Tortorella for under-performing in the Conference Finals against New Jersey,

While Gaborik only had 11 points in 20 playoffs games, he had scored a triple overtime game winner in the second round vs. Washington. After the playoffs, it was revealed that Gaborik had played the last two rounds with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Tortorella never acknowledged the injury while criticizing Gaborik’s effort.

Gaborik had major surgery and was ready to play when the 2013 season started in January, however, he got off to a slow start and was tormented by the coach, demoted to the fourth line and shifted to left wing.

It was clear the team was shopping him at the trade deadline and sure enough, he was dispatched to Columbus with an hour to spare before the trade deadline for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore.

He did get the last laugh when he won the Stanley Cup with the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

There’s no doubt that the Kings wouldn’t have won the Stanley Cup that spring without him.  He led all playoff scorers with 14 goals and added eight assists for 22 points in 26 games. In the Finals against his former teammates, Gaborik scored crucial third period tying goals in games two and five that led to overtime wins for the Kings.

Rangers fans will never know if Gaborik would have thrived in Alain Vigneault’s uptempo offensive structure.