Marian Gaborik never used it as an excuse, but perhaps there was a reason the Wild game-breaker didn't score in the Wild's first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Gaborik had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip joint after the season to repair a torn labrum.

"He's had this pinching feeling in his hip for pretty well the whole year," general manager Doug Risebrough said. "It hadn't prevented him from playing and playing very well. But we, and him specifically, really wanted to pursue options of getting relief from it.

"(Dr. Marc Philippon) felt if he had surgery, there was a good chance the pinching feeling would go away, so Marian decided to go ahead with it."

According to Risebrough, Gaborik, who scored a career-high 42 goals and 83 ...More