Gaborik signs for seven years

I was in the middle of writing a report that Marian Gaborik signing a contract extension was imminent; I didn’t realize exactly how imminent it was.

The Kings announced this morning that Gaborik has signed a seven-year contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2020-21 season. The sniper who led all performers with 14 goals this postseason is coming off a five-year, 37.5 million dollar contract signed with the New York Rangers prior to the 2009-10 season.

Though the Gaborik extension carries a long term, the actual cap hit is manageable, as reported by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun:

#Kings Gaborik #NHL 7 yr deal comes in just north of 34m. His aav comes in under 5m. Good deal for LA

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) June 25, 2014

I believe that Gaborik's 7-yr deal is worth around $4.9 M or $5 M a year. I am working to confirm.

— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) June 25, 2014

Should the cap hit be in the range of 4.9-to-5.0 million dollars – and there’s absolutely no reason to ever doubt Kypreos or LeBrun – the Kings will have roughly 4.5 million to 5.7 million dollars to allocate to a combination of restricted free agents Dwight King, Linden Vey and Brayden McNabb, and unrestricted free agents Willie Mitchell, Colin Fraser and Jeff Schultz. The financials, which are based on a salary cap range of 69.9-to-71.1 million dollars, are provided by CapGeek.com.

Gaborik, who has 347 goals and 704 points in 810 career games, recorded 11 goals and 30 points in 41 games with Los Angeles and Columbus in 2013-14. In 26 playoff games with the Kings, he scored a playoff-high 14 goals as part of a 22-point campaign.

More to come throughout the day.