News Article: Gardiner is waiting on the Leafs

[BillyD]

It has been speculated on before, but Lance Hornby reported it as fact today:

"Waiting to see what unfolds is UFA defenceman Gardiner, yet to sign elsewhere in the hopes the Leafs find more extra cash, but at this stage that would mean trading a set roster piece."

Muzzin buzzin’ for full season with Maple Leafs

Rielly-Barrie
Muzzin- Ceci
Gardiner-Dermott

not too shabby

Click to read more...

 

[ACC1224]

Waiting on the Leafs seems unlikely at this point.

 

[Knies iT]

That hypothetical blueline would push top 5 in the league.

Unless Marner is bridged and Gardiner is willing to take a discounted short-term deal, I don't see how it could work. Even then salary might have to be moved out elsewhere.

 

[Bomber0104]

He's going to be waiting a long time.

 

[deletethis]

The math doesn't add up without a major move in addition to signing Gardiner.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I think Gardiner is just not getting the offers he thought he would get

 

[al secord]

He's going to be waiting a long time.

Ya. And POLAK was the problem.

 

[IPS]

The last remaining piece of the 2013 crapshow still doesn't want to leave town lol.

I think the time has come and gone buddy, go get a fresh start somewhere else.

 

[Guy Boucher]

I think Gardiner is just not getting the offers he thought he would get

It's probably a combination of wanting to stay in Toronto and also not getting great offers. It might make sense to take a 1 year deal to rebuild his value after his back injury.

 

[sxvnert]

Of course he doesn't want to leave. No other fan base on the planet would put up with this ****.

 

[Once]

With the Leafs current cap troubles, the only plausible scenario is Gards takes a 1 year low cap (show me deal) and re-enters FA with more leverage in 2020. The problem for him is the risk of further injury.

 

[deletethis]

If there was a way to fit him in, he could be our Brett Hedican, a great skating defender with limited offensive output who makes it to a 1000 career games and a few Stanley Cup finals.

 

[BillyD]

That hypothetical blueline would push top 5 in the league.

Unless Marner is bridged and Gardiner is willing to take a discounted short-term deal, I don't see how it could work. Even then salary might have to be moved out elsewhere.

how about this?

Leafs go all in on LTIR, sign Marner, and pick up another Clarkson type contract i.e., - Gaborik, Callahan, Eaves ... bada bing, bada boom

maybe Gardiner knows its coming?

 

[Heisen]

I suppose he is hopeful Dubas can move Ceci? Marner's max money is already set aside, but you just can't pull the trigger on a Ceci/Jake move before Marner is done... emergency worst case scenario protection I guess... though I just rather tell Marner to f*** off if he's really not signed by opening night.

Jake would take Ceci's 4.5 I'm guessing? The deals he hoped for weren't there, so maybe 4.5 for one year, here, is acceptable to him? I find it hard to believe someone hasn't offered him 6*1 already, so he must really want to come back. Despite all the bad stuff that's happened around him, this makes me feel warm inside. I'd welcome him back now, especially on a deal like this.

 

[DopeyFish]

how about this?

Leafs go all in on LTIR, sign Marner, and pick up another Clarkson type contract i.e., - Gaborik, Callahan, Eaves ... bada bing, bada boom

maybe Gardiner knows its coming?

The issue is the team needs to be below the cap before LTIR is tapped so it's not a magical fix all situation...

But maybe they're trying to trade ceci out for another LTIR contract which would work. It's tough to tell exactly what the Leafs are planning as they game the cap hard and it's not always obvious what they are doing.

 

[BillyD]

The issue is the team needs to be below the cap before LTIR is tapped so it's not a magical fix all situation

Mirtle:

"So the Leafs were essentially stuck using LTIR no matter what this season. And, as one league executive put it after this deal, “you either avoid it or embrace it.”
If you’re in LTIR, you might as well go all-in because the penalties involved are there whether you use $1 of it or $30 million of it by the end of the season.
Given that, it’s possible the Leafs look around the league and add even more of these contracts in the coming months."

Mirtle: Making sense of the bizarre trade that sent David...

 

[DopeyFish]

Mirtle:

"So the Leafs were essentially stuck using LTIR no matter what this season. And, as one league executive put it after this deal, “you either avoid it or embrace it.”
If you’re in LTIR, you might as well go all-in because the penalties involved are there whether you use $1 of it or $30 million of it by the end of the season.
Given that, it’s possible the Leafs look around the league and add even more of these contracts in the coming months."

Mirtle: Making sense of the bizarre trade that sent David...

Perhaps the rules are different when it hits in season. Going from summer cap to season cap you need to be cap compliant.... but when in season cap, you may be able to bend those rules... at some point the league might say "hey wait a second! You have higher salary on roster than the cap itself" and that would be no bueno. That's the issue here. They aren't really adding space, they're just opening up more usable LTIR space at the expense of cap. It doesn't really add more. Where you get more is through the bonus carryovers. (which takes from next season when you're tapping LTIR)

 

[Sypher04]

Going under two assumptions:

1) Gardiner is willing to take a deal so team friendly that it can actually work
2) He is over his back injury that caused him so much grief this past season

Then sure, I'd welcome him back at that point.
Having a puck mover of the caliber of Rielly, followed up by Barrie, followed up by Gardiner. One of the 3 being on the ice at all times would be huge for our transition game.
That's a lot for the opposition to try to handle in conjunction with our forward group.
We're in a better position than we've ever been to really manage Gardiner's minutes healthy

 

[MyBudJT]

I've wondered about a scenario where we sign Gardiner for cheap, and allow him have his surgery (worry free) and hope he's healthy next season.

6 year 20 million, front loaded.

Guaranteed money in Gardiner's bank, potentially a good investment for the Leafs.

 

[zeke]

man if somehow dubas pulls this off...

 

[MapleLeafs9]

man if somehow dubas pulls this off...

Idk how I feel about this. If Gardiner's back causes him to look anything like the way he looked Game 81 vs TB-Game 7 vs Boston, I just want no part of him.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

 

[Canada4Gold]

Looks good on paper, granted both were injured but Gardiner/Dermott were a tire fire last year together.

WE might be able to scrounge up some cash Gards. How does 700k sound?

 

[DopeyFish]

Idk how I feel about this. If Gardiner's back causes him to look anything like the way he looked Game 81 vs TB-Game 7 vs Boston, I just want no part of him.

Gardiner wasn't an issue in any of the Boston games.... so not sure why you're bringing it up.

 

[MapleLeafs9]

Idk how I feel about this. If Gardiner's back causes him to look anything like the way he looked Game 81 vs TB-Game 7 vs Boston, I just want no part of him.

Really is nice however knowing a player loves Toronto so much he has waited this long and continues to wait to see if it's possible to stay