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Gaborik (abdominal surgery) healthy, ready for Columbus camp

MarianGaborik

Marian Gaborik is good to go.

That was the word out of Columbus on Tuesday, as GM Jarmo Kekalainen and president John Davidson said their big trade deadline acquisition was fully recovered from offseason abdominal surgery.

Gaborik, 31, underwent the procedure in early May and had an estimated recovery period of one month.

“Marian experienced some soreness towards the end of the season and after undergoing his exit physical and further examination today, it was decided that surgery is the best option for a quick and full recovery,” Davidson said at the time.

The procedure forced Gaborik to skip playing for Slovakia at the IIHF World Championships.

The decision to undergo surgery immediately following the ’13 campaign was an important one for both sides.

For Columbus, it meant Gaborik would be fully ready to start the year and embrace a full season in Ohio. Last year, he sparked the team upon his arrival, scoring eight points in 12 games as the Jackets went 9-3-0 with him in the lineup.

For Gaborik, this is a contract year. His five-year, $37.5 million deal expires at season’s end and he’ll need a stellar campaign to net anything close to the $7.5 million he’s earning annually right now.

UPDATE

The Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline reports Columbus and Gaborik have had no discussions about a contract extension yet, but Kekalainen did say talks will likely commence at some point this season.