Gardiner Thoughts

[TheOneArmedMan]

He's a decent player but he makes too many boneheaded mistakes when hes on the ice and he hasn't improved at all. He will probably get 50 points but when you see him play you will question how lol.

He will probably still be here until july 1 they can make the best use out of him then he'll hopefully be gone.

 

[Al14]

As much as I absolutely love the good side of Gardiner, the bad side of Gardiner infuriates me no end! I can't see our Leafs having him on our blue line at anything over $5.0M.

For every point he helps generate offensively, he likely costs 2 defensively.

Dubas should be looking to unload him for a D prospect and draft picks. JMHO.

 

[Mr Hockey]

He's a decent player but he makes too many boneheaded mistakes when hes on the ice and he hasn't improved at all. He will probably get 50 points but when you see him play you will question how lol.

He will probably still be here until july 1 they can make the best use out of him then he'll hopefully be gone.

I dont see him getting 50 this season, his PP minutes are down and he is starting his shifts in the d'zone 60% of the time.

 

[Discordia]

To be fair, Babcock and the rest of the coaching staffs coaching is a large reason Gardiner gets so much shit. Their defensive system is garbage and it makes the Defense look worse as a result.

Gradiner would look 20x better with a decent defensive coach.

 

[Mr Hockey]

To be fair, Babcock and the rest of the coaching staffs coaching is a large reason Gardiner gets so much ****. Their defensive system is garbage and it makes the Defense look worse as a result.

Gradiner would look 20x better with a decent defensive coach.

Explain Riellys trending upwards defensive game since Babcock (who is a systematic defense first coach) arrived?

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Love him or hate him (usually both over the span of a shift) you have to accept Gardiner for what he is.

An Elite Elite offensive dman who can start the transition, and play in the offensive zone, but makes bone headed mistakes.

He makes up for the mistakes most of the time, and as frustrating as he is, he’s an important part of this team, our D would be garbage without him anchoring the second pairing.

Yes Dermott can replace him, but why not have 3 good d-men? Dermott could eventually see time with Rielly imo.

 

[Discordia]

Explain Riellys trending upwards defensive game since Babcock (who is a defense first coach) arrived?

Explain the teams absurd GAA every year since he's been here? Rielly has excelled in spite of the coaching staff, not because of it. Rielly was likely a top 3 pick if he wasn't injured in his draft year, possibly even number 1.

 

[Azazel]

Explain the teams absurd GAA every year since he's been here? Rielly has excelled in spite of the coaching staff, not because of it. Rielly was likely a top 3 pick if he wasn't injured in his draft year, possibly even number 1.

I think we found Brian Burkes Alt

 

[Slyfox]

He's been great and our best dman the past two games. Maybe he just needed to shake the rust of game 7 and having a kid. He's fine. We need him resigned and if he struggles this year it will help with contract negotiations.

 

[StannisFollower]

King of half-assed passes. I like Gardiner, but every time he does one of those it pisses me off.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Gardiner will be a cap casualty.

He isn't worth the 6+ Million with term another team will give him. I've always saw him as a good player on a bad team but never a key guy on a good team.

To the Leafs he's worth under 5M as he's a 2nd pairing PP guy already for us, never sees the penalty kill and 5 on 5 can't handle difficult matchups which is our biggest area of concern.

Dermott is a lefty who by next season will be in the top 4 as well as that being Reilly's natural side. Dermott will also need a new deal after next season. Next season our best prospect in Llijgren can likely take over 2nd PP duties and supplement some of the lost transition game at 5 on 5.

 

[FerrisRox]

I used to love his stretch passes to the other team the most. Now, my new favourite move by Jake is when he gains the puck after a long series of being hemmed in their own end, only to make a 2 foot pass off the boards back to the opposing team.

It is truly bizarre watching him do this. You think it's just an odd brain cramp at first but then you see how often he does it. I'm not even sure what the intention is. Often you see a mistake on the ice and you can at least figure out what they were trying to do, but this move from Gardiner - and he's done it many times over the years - is truly a head scratcher.

 

[moon111]

One thing to consider when chalking up Gardiner's amount of positives and negatives, we've seen him with 10,449:30 minutes of ice-time.
We've had games where more inferior defensemen then Jake Gardiner made less mistakes only because they weren't used as much. They were
messing up just as much if not more with less offense. He's not a superstar. Nor is he paid like one. Since he's been in the league, the
amount of 1st assists he's collected is in the Zdeno Chara, Matt Niskanen, Shea Weber, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Jared Spurgeon range.
At $4 million, think a lot of teams would be happy to have Jake Gardiner, and a lot of teams would have found a better blueline partner that would
compensate for his strengths and weaknesses a little better then Zaitsev.

 

[pheasant]

Gardiner will be a cap casualty.

He isn't worth the 6+ Million with term another team will give him. I've always saw him as a good player on a bad team but never a key guy on a good team.

To the Leafs he's worth under 5M as he's a 2nd pairing PP guy already for us, never sees the penalty kill and 5 on 5 can't handle difficult matchups which is our biggest area of concern.

Dermott is a lefty who by next season will be in the top 4 as well as that being Reilly's natural side. Dermott will also need a new deal after next season. Next season our best prospect in Llijgren can likely take over 2nd PP duties and supplement some of the lost transition game at 5 on 5.

This is the little voice in my head talking. The inconvenient truth.

I like Gardiner a lot, and I feel he is very important to the team. Probably more important than Nylander or Kadri, all things considered. But the cap crunch is coming, and Gardiner has Dermott and Liljgren coming up fast.

I would love if the Leafs extended him at a reasonable cap hit. But if a reasonable number is turned down, I expect that Dubas will walk away.

 

[Taluss]

I think it’s disgusting how some fans just trash his insta page. One of the people in my chats just told me to take a look and wow it’s crazy the amount of hate he gets. Like honestly he is more successful then the people who say that shit will ever be. Sure he may be in a bad patch but have some damn respect for him. I know it’s not all of you but for the people that do.

 

[Carltons Cup]

Jake is what he is....offense first and that's about it.

There's no way he gets traded this season especially since we have the team in place to challenge for a deep playoff run. Getting rid of him before playoffs leaves a huge offensive hole on the blueline. Who picks up the slack???? With that being said, he'll be gone at the end of the season ala JVR, Bozak et al....

 

[ShaneFalco]

JVR all over again

 

[AustonGretzky]

With the pipeline being stocked with near ready defence, it makes sense to let him walk after the season. Keep the boy for the playoffs, but his salary will be going to the big 4

 

[Hunter74]

Jake always starts slow and finished strong......

 

[DarkKnight]

Jake always starts slow and finished strong......

I know what you’re saying there but think about that for a second

 

[Al14]

Jake always starts slow and finished strong......

He sure to hell didn't finish strong in game 7 last season!

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Jake always starts slow and finished strong......

Like the playoffs last year ?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Left D are a dime a dozen.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Rielly Zaitsev
Dermott Oz
Gardiner Hainsey

I love Gardiner but it needs to be someone’s full time job to analyze when he mistakes during a game and tell him and Babcock so he doesn’t do them.

How can anyone have confidence with him, in the playoffs not costing us a goal in a game 7 OT, anymore?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

i can't see paying expensive UFA years for his unpredictable ways.