Marian Gaborik has missed nearly 100 games since the NHL resumed play after the lockout. (Tom Olmscheid/Associated Press)

Marian Gaborik has elected to have surgery on his left hip and is expected to be out of the Minnesota Wild lineup for about 10 weeks, the club announced on Friday.

Gaborik, 26, has been hampered with hip and groin injuries during his hockey career. The sniper has played just six games this season and had missed an average of 18 games the previous four years.

The Slovakian will undergo the surgery Monday, and is not expected to be back on skates for about six weeks.

Team general manager Doug Risebrough said Gaborik could have tried to play through the pain but wouldn't have been at 100 per cent.

"I'm disappointed he won't be here for us through this part of the season, but this is the choice Marian has made," Risebrough said in a conference call.

Gaborik's agent, Ron Salcer, said his client has been playing through pain and his doctor told him he "would be playing at his peril" if he continued to do so.

"It's not a grey issue, it's a black-and-white issue," Salcer said. "He's willing to play hurt and he's willing to play through pain. But you have to draw the line when the doctor says he's going to do damage to himself."

The last original member of the Wild, Gaborik is in the final year of his contract and previously turned down offers from the team for a lucrative extension.

Gaborik has 209 goals and 419 points in 491 career games, all with the Wild.

Risebrough has been considering trading him this season, but Gaborik has missed 30 of the team's 36 games, which has severely lowered his trade value. The NHL's trade deadline is March 4.

Risebrough declined to comment on Gaborik's future with the team.

"All I'm worried about is just getting him back and hopefully he's able to play," Risebrough said.

The Wild called Gaborik's injury a "deficiency" in his hip that has caused chronic left groin pain.

He had a similar procedure on his right hip last summer, and then was plagued with what the team thought was more groin problems at the start of this season.

With an 18-16-2 record, Minnesota entered Friday one point ahead of last-place Edmonton in the Northwest Division and on the outside of the Western Conference's playoff picture.

With files from the Associated Press