The Los AngelesKings traded Jason LaBarbera to the Vancouver Canucks in return for a 7th-round draft choice.

LaBarbera has 2.83 goals-against average for this season, a .893 save percentage and a 5-8 record

The Marian Gaborik situation has reached a potentially catastrophic juncture.

Assistant General Manager Tom Lynn confirmed Thursday that Gaborik, who has missed 30 of 36 games this season, might have surgery to repair what Lynn described as a "deficiency" in his left hip that has been causing him groin pain all season.

If Gaborik has surgery, Lynn said he would be out until "at or near the end of the season," meaning the Wild just might be stuck with an untradeable asset.

"The question is, do we try to move forward by him still skating so we can try to get him back now and manage it, or do we get [surgery] done right away so he can try to come back by the end of the season?" Lynn said. "That's what we're trying to figure out in the next day or two. We're examining all our options."

Gaborik and his agent, Ron Salcer, did not return messages.

Lynn's admission comes one day after a source told the Star Tribune that Gaborik saw the same hip specialist -- Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo. -- who operated on Gaborik's right hip in May. Gaborik had detailed ultrasounds on his groins, and the "hip deficiency" was revealed.

The source said Philippon recommended "season-ending surgery," something Lynn declined to confirm Wednesday night. On Thursday, Lynn said: "I don't know if it would be season-ending surgery. Like I said, it would be toward the end."

In May, Gaborik's surgery was to repair a torn labrum, a problem that caused a "pinching" feeling in his hip all season.

"This is a hip deficiency like he had on the other side," Lynn said. "The labrum is part of it, but there's other stuff going on, too. It's just a matter of maybe going in and fixing it so it all moves properly."

Surgery will be Gaborik's decision. It's clear Gaborik at least is trying to avoid surgery because he has been skating all week in hopes of practicing with the team.

Of course, Gaborik has a vested interest to play because he can become a free agent July 1. In order to command a lucrative contract, he needs to play at a high level and stay healthy.

This is by far the worst-case scenario for the Wild, which tried to sign Gaborik to an extension last summer. When it couldn't, the Wild began shopping him around the NHL.

But with the trade deadline March 4, if Gaborik has surgery, it would be virtually impossible to trade him.

Asked about the Wild potentially having an untradeable player, Lynn said, "I don't want to speak to his value to our team as an asset until we decide which way we're going on this."

The Wild is hoping to avoid surgery. In fact, Thursday morning, before the admission of how dire things are, Lynn said, "I was hoping he'd practice Wednesday. I was hoping he'd practice today. He didn't. I guess it's a plan of hope right now."

Thursday morning, General Manager Doug Risebrough declined to comment when asked by the Star Tribune if it was recommended Gaborik have surgery. When asked if he was concerned Gaborik might not play again, Risebrough said: "I'd say I'm more concerned because I thought this would have been more behind us. It's not going the way we wanted it or the way it was the last time. It's not good."

Asked about the quandary of Gaborik being in the last year of his contract and now potentially untradeable: Risebrough said, "It's complicated, there's no doubt about that. He played the majority of the season last year. He had a productive year. Ultimately, we were counting on that type of a year. It hasn't translated.

"And then we were thinking, 'Well, if we can get it the second half, we'll be happy.' Now, that's becoming a lot more complicated."

TORONTO - The death of a 21-year-old hockey player who died three weeks after hitting his unprotected head on the ice during a fight has renewed calls for tougher rules governing the use of helmets.

Don Sanderson, a rookie defenceman with the senior AAA Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Association, died shortly after 1 a.m. Friday at Hamilton General Hospital.

Sanderson, a native of Port Perry, Ont., was tussling with Brantford Blast forward Corey Fulton during the third period of a Dec. 12 game at the Brantford Civic Centre when his helmet came off.

Towards the end of the fight, both players fell over, causing Sanderson to strike his bare head on the ice. He was out cold for about 30 seconds before he briefly regained consciousness. The York University student eventually fell into a coma and was on life support until his death.

Dunlops president Steve Cardwell said the fight wasn't particularly vicious.

"It didn't look like it was as bad as obviously this has turned out to be," Cardwell said.

"At the time it looked like so many other fights that anybody connected with hockey would have watched over the last number of years."

Cardwell praised Sanderson as a fierce competitor and a valuable player with a big heart. While he said his main concern is helping the family cope, he believes there needs to be closer look at the broader circumstances of Sanderson's death.

"Any time a tragedy like this happens - and it could have been prevented by a number of rule changes, or the way helmets are made, or the way that they work - that debate needs to happen," he said.

"Because if you lose just one life and you don't learn from it, then we're all making a big mistake."

While league rules state that helmets must be worn and secured, "each player has a personal choice how he wears it," Cardwell said.

While he's seen players occasionally forced to tighten their helmet chin straps, team captain Peter MacKellar said he doesn't think it's something that's been enforced strictly.

Following the fatal incident, however, he's wondering whether the rules should be revisited.

"I got into a fight one or two games later and my helmet came off and all of a sudden you're thinking about Don and you're thinking, 'Jeez this could happen right now,"' he said.

"But I've seen so many helmets come off and I've seen people hit their heads on the ice before and, you know, (there were) no real complications."

Sanderson had several on-ice scuffles this season; in 11 games with the Dunlops, he racked up four fighting majors.

MacKellar, who called the incident "a freak accident," said the team will be dedicating the rest of the season to Sanderson.

"We'll just have to ... work just as hard as he did, because he really worked so hard this year and I was just so impressed with his work ethic and just his loyalty to his team," he said.

"If we can rally for him and play for him - play in his honour - I think that'd be a nice touch."

There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.