Marian Gaborik is on the verge.
The Los Angeles Kings right winger, out since Feb. 12 with a knee injury, has been medically cleared to play and will be a game-time decision Saturday night for Game 2 against the San Jose Sharks, head coach Darryl Sutter said.
"It becomes a coach's decision (and) a player's declaration of whether he's ready or not," Sutter said, according to Kings Insider's Jon Rosen.
It was a supremely disappointing regular season for Gaborik, the 34-year-old scoring 12 goals in 54 games and finishing with only 22 points. However, the Kings have fond memories of Gaborik's 2014 postseason, when he scored 14 goals and added eight assists in 26 games to play an integral role in the club's Stanley Cup win.
Meanwhile, on the blue line, Sutter confirmed that Alec Martinez will not play due to an undisclosed injury, and Jamie McBain will suit up in his place, according to NHL.com's Shawn Roarke.
Martinez played only 11 minutes in Game 1 - none in the third period - and that meant Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin saw a ton of ice. The two will be relied upon heavily again, regardless of how many minutes McBain can go. Martinez's loss is a big one, as he averaged more than 21 minutes a game during the regular season.
