Greene, Gaborik discuss extensions, focus

Though there will be decisions made over the potential 12 players bound for restricted or unrestricted free agency 10 months from now, there are two players whose futures have been firmly established with a team with which they have won a combined three Stanley Cups.

Reports surfaced on June 23 and 24 that Matt Greene was close to inking a four-year, $10M extension. On June 25, LA Kings Insider reported that Marian Gaborik had signed a seven-year extension. Further reports placed the contract at $34.125M.

For Greene, the negotiations began towards the end of the season and were wrapped up quickly.

“I wanted to stay here,” he said. “I wanted to be here for a while, and they were receptive to that. It was really simple to get it done.”

The extension, of course, followed a pair of seasons in which Greene struggled to maintain his health. There was the freak back injury suffered on the first day of the 2012-13 season that required back surgery, and several injuries that kept him sidelined through parts of 2013-14. Over the past two seasons, he has been limited to 43 regular season games, though he has played 29 playoff games over that span – and etched out his most consistent play during that span during the team’s run to the 2014 Stanley Cup.

Greene will again endeavor to maintain his health throughout the season, something he hasn’t done since 2011-12, when he played in all 102 regular season and playoff games during the team’s first championship season. To reach such impressive marks in consistency, the key will be to “just play.”

“I think that’s the main thing,” Greene explained. “It was the old adage last year, where if you equate it to baseball, to get into a rhythm, you’ve got to get at bats, but at the same time, when you get at bats, you’ve got to be able to get some hits. That was the thing that wasn’t there for me last year. I think I needed to play more to get my game going, but I wasn’t playing well enough to justify the playing time. For me, it’s just having my game going right away, playing well with whoever they put me with, and making sure I’m taking care of business on my own end so I can keep playing and…playing my game the way I can.”

“I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay here, and I wanted to get a chance to prove that I can still play. Luckily, that came around. I think both sides are happy with it. I know that I am. You’ve got to ask them if they’re happy with it or not. I knew that I just needed a chance to play, and I needed an opportunity. That came at the end of the year, and I’m grateful for that. But for me, I was always part of this team. That was never in doubt. I wasn’t looking to go anywhere else. My focus was to do whatever I could to help our team win championships.”

Gaborik, who is coming off a five-year, $37.5M contract signed with the New York Rangers prior to the 2009-10 season, part jokingly, part earnestly said that “I’ve made enough money in my whole career, so it wasn’t about money.” CapGeek lists his career earnings at $71.379M, a figure that includes his 2014-15 NHL salary of $6.075M.

“To get a taste of that Cup I think that gives you motivation to repeat and to be hungry again,” he said. “That is that motivation to go back there and to do it with this team and to play in this environment, to play in this state, it’s an awesome mix. I didn’t want to leave.”

“I’m glad we could have it done before free agency. I knew all along that I wanted to be a part of this team. It was just a matter of time and a matter of negotiating and stuff. So I’m glad it worked out and I’m glad it happened before the first [of July].”

Matt Greene, on the Kings’ venture to be a part of sports history:
I think the plan right now is just to get off to a good start this season, that’s it. You can’t worry about the ending, you’ve got to worry about what’s going on right now. I think that’s what our team’s focused on is coming out of the gates hard, getting everybody healthy coming out of camp and having a good start to the year.

Greene, on the historical aspect if the team wins titles in three of four years:
I think that’s rare in any sport, but that’s a long ways off. We know how hard it is to get to the playoffs. We’ve got goals set already this year that [we want] to accomplish before the playoffs even start. The main one right now is just having a good start and being healthy to start this year.

On the team’s efforts at the start of training camp:
Just establishing the system again, driving that in, making sure everybody’s on the same page – the D-zone coverage, what we’re doing, trying to establish a forecheck in the neutral zone, just getting back to playing our system and making sure we give everybody a refresher for the next couple of days to go into the games and start working on the stuff. The timing and the skill part of the stuff will come. But just making sure everybody knows what they’re doing out there – the most important thing is to play in our system and being accountable. Knowing where you’re supposed to be on the ice, that makes everything easier.

Greene, on his response to a pair of injury-affected seasons:
Just have a bounce back year. The last two years I’ve been hurt for a majority of [the time]. It’s tough to find your game when you’re not playing. I think coming back, I wasn’t playing the way I needed to be to stay in the lineup, and when I got the opportunity at the end of the year and I really had a chance to find my game, the season was done again. So I think for me, I just want to pick up where I left off at the end of the year in the playoffs and carry that over into 82 games. Stay healthy and be a contributing factor to this team.

Greene, on whether the Western Conference is “harder than ever”:
It’s different. I think it’s a challenge every year. I think…teams realize now that you only have a certain amount of time to make a good run at things, and I think a lot of teams are coming together in the west that are in their prime. I think Anaheim added a key piece. St. Louis. Chicago’s always strong. A lot of other teams got better in the west, too. So you’ve got to be ready. You’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot. It’s going to be a tough run.

Marian Gaborik, on his first day back after a short off-season:
It feels good to be back. Obviously summer was a little short, but it was great. Back at work right now and it was a good first day.

Gaborik, on whether he prefers short off-seasons:
For sure, yeah. If we get to repeat it again that would be awesome, but it was a good first day and everybody is back. The guys after surgeries, I think they feel good. We have a good looking team again.

Gaborik, on how he feels after signing a new contract:
It feels awesome. I wanted to be a King a little long. I’m glad we resolved it quickly and I think both sides are happy. I’m very happy to be a part of this team for the next seven years.

Gaborik, on how he fits in with the team:
I don’t really know. I’ve been around for a long time and I came to this team which has a history of winning, and it’s a winning culture, a great group of guys and it feels good. It’s a good fit on the ice and off the ice. I’m really fortunate to be a part of this team and let’s win again.

Gaborik, on whether he sees the game in a similar way as Anze Kopitar:
Yeah, I think so. I think the European instinct is different. Both of us, those little give and go plays and the vision he has and for me just to get open. I think we complement each other very well out there. Also, with Willie earlier and Brownie later on and I think it’s a good mix.

Gaborik, on the challenge of repeating as champions:
Yeah it is, I think everybody knows that. We don’t necessarily need to talk about it, but everybody knows that and that’s our goal for sure. We just have to take it a game at a time and day by day.

Gaborik, on the biggest challenge the Kings face in repeating as champions:
Well I think everybody that’s going to play against us, they’re going to pick it up a notch and really try to beat us. So we just have to be ready and we have to have a strong start and just go from there.

Gaborik, on bringing the Stanley Cup to Slovakia:
It was great. I mean the cup has been there five times I think in the past seven years. It was great for me to come back with the cup and celebrate with my friends and with people. So it was an awesome experience. I’d like to do that again, that’s for sure.

Gaborik, on whether he fits in well with Darryl Sutter:
I think so. Obviously… I’ve been here for just a few months, but I really like what he’s bringing to this team. And when you’re winning, everything is going well. He’s won two cups, he’s been a great player in this league when he played and I think it’s a good fit for the whole team.

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