Jake Gardiner 2.0 - More beast than man now, I am afraid...

[mulefarm]

You don't hear 20 hockey cliches a day that would easily answer that? "Jake's been good for us lately, he's playing well"? "I don't think he's getting more of a leash, he's just seeing the ice well and making smart plays"

I thought it was about Jake's response about having more of a longer leash compared to when Randy was the coach.

 

[jrgtml67]

Don't know why this has happened again. So the leash is longer or off. Happened last season with he and Reilly. Then we started winning more oft and scoring more. So why hold him back at the start. To be good Gardiner and Reilly both have to wheel, pinch and such. Meaning out centers have to cover. To me shows that Babcock doesn' trust our center's enough to let our PMD to wheel..until now. God we need another center here for a run.

 

[Gallagbi]

I thought it was about Jake's response about having more of a longer leash compared to when Randy was the coach.

I don't read Gardiner's response ass Jack-assy, but I could be wrong.

 

[Mr Hockey]

How was Jake held back is what I like to know does anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[PromisedLand]

lol this is gold!

 

[PromisedLand]

“[Gardiner] is one of those guys who’s got elite hockey sense,” said head coach Mike Babcock. “He sees what’s happening before it happens.”

Babcock: Gardiner ‘has elite hockey sense’ - Article - TSN


so..... Babs says Gards has elite hockey sense; tweet posted by some say babs didn't give permission to Gards to do anything stupid (its also in the article) i think is posted out of context.

Gards an enigma really. When he is good he is friggen ELITE when he is bad; I wanna punch a wall.


AND
Gardiner also set up Nylander’s other breakaway on Monday with another good read. Gardiner realized Auston Matthews was tracking back to cover him, so he pinched to keep the puck in at the offensive blueline. Earlier in his career, when Randy Carlyle was behind the Leafs bench, Gardiner found himself second-guessing similar plays and that usually led to a mistake.

“I think in my earlier years it wouldn’t have been the same outcome, I don’t think,” he admitted with a grin. “I probably would’ve sat down for a few shifts or something like that ... Obviously, I’m going to make some mistakes. I still do, probably worse when I was younger, but still do it. Happens to everybody. I think Babs has given me a pretty good leash on making those plays and he understands it’s going to happen, too, so we have a pretty good balance. It definitely makes you feel a lot more comfortable and confident."”

#Toaster

 

[leafs10101]

I don't know what this perception of Gardiner as an occasional idiot is. I don't recall him making any bonehead plays like he sometimes did early in his career. He's pretty responsible defensively, and is on pace for 40+ points. Where's the controversy?

 

[Bluelines]

Our D next season...

Rielly ~ ?
Dermott ~ Zaitsev
Borgman ~ Hainsey
?

Hainsey has been too good this year to be dropped down to bottom pairing but father time is chasing him so his decline might be Robidas like or he could be Marleau like and seem ageless.

I think Rielly and Hainsey are our top pair next year.

I'm not into this right-lefty pairings, so forgive me if I don't follow the Babcock blueprint.

I see our pairings like this:

Rielly-Hainsey
Zaitsev - UFA
in house talent- in house talent.

I think Jake is more likely to be traded than signed, not because of his occasional brain farts (we all have them) but because he will put a pinch on our cap. As our young talent develops into reliable NHL players we will need the $$$ to offer market rates.

What is keeping him here is he generates offence and we will probably lose JVR for the same reason I think we might trade Jake, cap implications. It would be tough to lose JVR and Jake in one calendar year without legit replacements in the fold. Yes we have the big 3 but Jake and JVR are responsible for about 50 goals each year and to expect the big three to eat up that production is not realistic.

The next 3 years is the crucial part in deciding if we are cup contenders or not. Its easy to draft guys like Matthews, Nylander, Marner when your team stinks but its hard to continue to add impact talent when your team is decent, like we are now. I think we need at least another 3 impact players along the lines of Nylander/Marner talent to be legit contenders.

Dermott and Kapanen both have peaked my interest, they seem like legit NHL talent but I'm not sure what their upside is. Are they guys who drive play? or are they guys who compliment the big 3? One guy who has peaked my interest and I've heard his name mentioned more often recently is Andreas Johnsson, who was named AHL player of the week for the week ending Feb 4th. Quote on him:

A 23-year-old native of Gavle, Sweden, Johnsson is tied for second in the AHL with 22 goals and has a team-best 37 points in 41 games for the Marlies this season. Johnsson, who was a seventh-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 NHL Draft, has totaled 42 goals and 42 assists for 84 points in 116 games over his two AHL seasons since coming to North America after three years with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League.
​

Once you get to about a PPG player in the AHL you tend to get a look at the NHL level. He is a LW and JVR and Leo are both LW. So he might get a look at the pro level soon, I think to see if we have an in house solution for JVR/Leo.

SCOUTING REPORT Andreas Johnsson

ASSETS:
A good skater, he also possesses a natural scorer's hands and the ability to know where to be in order to tally goals. Sees the ice well and is also adept at creating plays for linemates. Shoots the puck with aplomb.
FLAWS:
Does not have good size for the National Hockey League game, so he must prove capable of withstanding the rigors of the highest level (as well as adjust to the smaller ice surfaces) in order to thrive in the big league.
CAREER POTENTIAL:
Talented forward with some upside.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[thewave]

What a beast! This guy is awesome putting up points like nothing! Mr. February!

 

[Slyfox]

He's been playing like a number 1 dman since Riellys injury and has easily been our best dman since. He's even thriving carrying the anchor that is Zaitsev.

 

[1specter]

Jake is a second half god. He runs marathons while everyone else runs sprints. This guy can play 30 minutes a night in crunch time if we need him to.

 

[htpwn]

 

[Polaris1010]

Did not see the whole game ... but that had to be the best body check all game. The reaction of the fans was hilarious!

And the crosscheck. I thought it was a bit on the vicious side. It happened too fast so they did not call the penalty.

 

[wingman75]

I prefer that Gardiner over the mistake-prone-aloof Gardiner we get sometimes. Wish he could bring that every night.

 

[thewave]

Jake is ready to power slam Bruins come PO, agaaain.

 

[The Beyonder]

It seems like as the year goes on and the games get bigger, he rises with it. Playoff Jake is just awesome, and it's nice that he's finding his game at the right time.

 

[Liminality]

Got to admit, he's been a beast.

 

[Nithoniniel]

He's been absolutely terrific over the last 20 games. When he plays like this, he's among the best choices to run a second pairing in the league.

 

[Skin Tape Session]

Jake is a second half god. He runs marathons while everyone else runs sprints. This guy can play 30 minutes a night in crunch time if we need him to.

Which is why I would re sign him for a few years if he would take a two or three year extension. I would love three years 5 mil per. If he would take that I have ZERO issue with it.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

Did not see the whole game ... but that had to be the best body check all game. The reaction of the fans was hilarious!

And the crosscheck. I thought it was a bit on the vicious side. It happened too fast so they did not call the penalty.

Almost as if he remembered he is like 6'2" and 200+ pounds lol

 

[Ziggdiezan]

He's been absolutely terrific over the last 20 games. When he plays like this, he's among the best choices to run a second pairing in the league.

Seems to get used a lot with the Matthews line so I wouldnt even call it traditional second pairing usage as he always plays against high level of competition.

 

[White Shadow]

Which is why I would re sign him for a few years if he would take a two or three year extension. I would love three years 5 mil per. If he would take that I have ZERO issue with it.

Or....trade him while his value is at it's peak.