by LARRY BROOKS , The New York Post

The Rangers scoured the free agent and trade markets yesterday in an attempt to find a center to complement Gaborik, the right winger who signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the club on Wednesday, but came up empty.

That's neither terribly surprising nor terribly alarming because, a) the season doesn't start for another three months; b) Gaborik doesn't rely on his center to set him up the way, say, Dany Heatley does; and, c) Brandon Dubinsky almost certainly could handle the assignment beside Gaborik just as he handled centering Jaromir Jagr.

It's far better for the Rangers to be patient while surveying an unimposing market that includes comparatively cheap, short-term alternatives such as Brendan Morrison, Robert Lang or Mike Comrie, should it come to that, than rush into a bad contract carrying a long-term commitment to, say, a Saku Koivu.

If Sather isn't necessarily charged with obtaining a ready-made first-line center before camp commences please, no Mats (Inside Straight) Sundin - the general manager does have an obligation to address the situation at the power play point, also known as the black hole.

For if the Blueshirts are counting on either Michal Rozsival or Wade Redden to be dramatically better than they were last season (and, in Rozsival's case, the year before last, as well), they are setting themselves up for disappointment and failure.

To that end, Sather is likely to check in on old buddy Sergei Zubov. Zubov will be 39 in three weeks, and is coming off a season in Dallas in which he played 10 games because of a hip injury that was repaired by surgery performed by the very same Dr. Marc Philippon who performed hip surgery on Gaborik.

Zubov, who combined with Brian Leetch in the Cup-winning 1993-94 season to give the Blueshirts the best power play point combination in franchise history - and one of the most effective in NHL history - has yet to declare his intention for next season.

The Rangers need to get a point man for the power play more than they require a center for Gaborik, who has the skating ability, instincts, intelligence and creativity to generate scoring chances for himself.

Dubinsky was the best Rangers center with Jagr two years ago, and he was the best Rangers center with Nikolai Zherdev last year, so he's not unaccustomed to playing with talent on his right flank.

Speaking of which, Gaborik addressed the press yesterday on a conference call while driving nearby his home in Trencin, Slovakia. The winger said he believes his hip problems are behind him, following surgeries on each hip performed by Dr. Philippon.

Gaborik also said the Rangers had made signing him a priority from the moment the free agent market opened, sending a scout to his home to deliver a video recruiting pitch.

"It was very important they came after me this way," Gaborik said. "When somebody is interested in you, it feels great.

"The Rangers were the most interested. And I was the most comfortable and confident signing with them. I'm happy being a Ranger ."

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