Marian Gaborik (flu) will be a game-time decision Tuesday night. He didn't travel with the team Monday, but he's slated to arrive in Detroit this afternoon. Gaborik has two goals and four assists in four games this season. His absence would definitely be felt if he's unable to go, but being able to join his teammates on the road is an encouraging sign.

Marian Gaborik didn't practice Monday because of the flu. He also did not travel with the club this afternoon to Detroit, but he will join them on Tuesday morning if he's feeling better. "We wanted (Gaborik) to get as much time by himself as possible," coach Todd Richards said. "We'll see where he's at in the morning." Consider him day-to-day for the time being.

Marian Gaborik potted a goal and added two helpers for the Blue Jackets in a 4-1 win over Buffalo Thursday. The rejuvenated Gaborik has registered five points in three games this season and looks primed to enjoy a great season if he can manage to remain healthy. Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky each found the back of the net in the winning effort while Cam Atkinson notched a goal and an assist.

Both Marian Gaborik and Jack Johnson collected a goal and an assist apiece as the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Calgary Flames 4-3. Each player is expected to carry the Columbus offense this season. Gaborik is the most interesting to watch based on his injury history and contract year making him a serious risk-reward pick.

Marian Gaborik (personal) has rejoined the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gaborik went to Slovakia for his grandfather's funeral. He's expected to participate in Tuesday's practice.

Marian Gaborik is due back on Tuesday as he is in Slovakia for the funeral of his grandfather. The Blue Jackets do not start the season until Friday so Gaborik will get in a couple of practices before the opener. Our condolences to the Gaborik family. Gaborik will be on the Blue Jackets top line this season and should average a point per game but he is likely to miss at least 10 games due to injury if past performance is any indicator.

Marian Gaborik is taking a short leave of absence from the Blue Jackets for personal reasons. "It's just a personal issue that he's got to deal with," coach Todd Richards said. "We'll have him back early next week. No injury. He's healthy. He's just got a family matter that came up." He won't be in the lineup for Thursday's preseason finale as a result.

As of Tuesday evening, Marian Gaborik is tied for first in NHL preseason production with seven points. Gaborik's two goals and five assists tie him with teammate Brandon Dubinsky for top spot, although the two Blue Jackets rank amongst the top seven skaters in preseason ice time. Nonetheless, Gaborik seems comfortable at his new home in Columbus, where he scored eight points in 12 games after the trade from New York.

Marian Gaborik netted a pair of goals for Columbus Wednesday in a 5-4 preseason victory over Carolina. The sniper seems to feel right at home with the Blue Jackets and his play on the ice proved he was already in mid-season form. Boone Jenner, Ryan Johansen and Sean Collins also found the back of the net for Columbus while Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna split goaltending duties. Alexander Semin scored a pair for the Hurricanes, who also received markers from Eric Staal and Jeremy Welsh. Cam Ward played the entire game, stopping 26 of 31 shots.

Marian Gaborik is willing to negotiate a contract extension during the season. Some players are reluctant to do so because they feel it would be a distraction. However, the Columbus Blue Jackets wanted to get a sense of what he would do during the 2013-14 campaign before being the negotiations. "I'm comfortable," he said. "I've experienced that before (in Minnesota). I'm not thinking about that; just getting ready to go out there and play. We'll see how everything is going to turn out."