Gardiner Thoughts

[Mr Hockey]

Zaitsev's problem isn't just solely skill level, it's he has a low panic threshold and also has poor defensive sense.

curious, why do you think Jake has never been used as a PK guy?

 

[LeafingTheWay]

The key selling tool Dubas has moving forward that no other Leaf GM has had in the past 20 years is success. Players see that this team is destined for long-term success and a strong contender. They'll take team friendly deals. I feel Gardiner is one of those players. 6x6 is the max I'd go.

 

[Jozay]

Do what you can to get Zaitsev out of here and sign Jake 5.5 for like 7 years.

Rumours are out there suggesting he would take a lower cap hit in exchange for term.

 

[PemIceKing]

Anyone who plays with Gards who was trained as a defense in the proper sense would be messed up by him. He thinks the game like a centre and makes plays which are so far out of the norm. There are multiple players on Leafs who have zero idea what Gards will do. So he can make a traditional defense look poor. It is very hard to play with a guy who does not make conventional plays.

Gards is a fantastic skills player. He can skate forwards with speed both straight away and laterally. He has very good hands. His tools are grade A. His toolbox is very very weak. Which in combination of being a little afraid causes the brain farts. Everyone knows he is the last man you want on the ice under a heavy forecheck. He can't handle it.

I agree completely. He can move the puck and twists and turns away MOST of the time, it’s when he gets stripped or throws it away it seems to always be a glaring goal

 

[Duffman955]

Gardiner has not played that well this year. However, he does move the puck better than anyone on the team besides Rielly.

And hes isn't nearly as bad as people make him out to be on this board. He is a quality #4 Dman. I just don't think his Defense partner compliments his play style.

Edit: Man this guy was a playoff beast in the 2 PO appearances before last year. He needs to get back to that form.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Can't say I like the "own rental" thing and letting JVR, Bozak and Gardiner all walk

JVR is the one of those that really hurts. Not only did he have the highest value of these pieces but he was the most replaceable.

Gardiner is very tricky because I am not excited at all about signing him long-term. It's tough to separate his recent decline from being saddled with Zaitsev, but that along with his age make me very apprehensive about an extension. With Rielly/Dermott/Sandin/Rosen I'm confident in our LHD and I think the money would be best used elsewhere.

Having said that if we trade him, we're down to two quality defensemen. Which is not great when you're trying to win a Cup. Tough situation.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

We can't trade Gardiner at the TDL ...

Are we not competing this year?

A team with defensive depth can make trades like that. For example, we could've made the JVR trade because we had good internal options. But we don't here.

 

[LeafSteel]

I am a Gardiner guy and would love to see him back but unless he comes back on a discount, I can’t see it happening.

Even if he does, it would absolutely have to spell the end of Zaitsev here. That it is a given that Hainsey won’t be resigned would mean that we have an even more pathetically weak RHD corps.

Interesting to see what Dubas does.

 

[TML Dynasty]

I agree the Gards Zaitsev duo isn't looking great. Also agree Gards is a unique type of defender that brings great things to our squad but we need to find the right partner for him. That should be a priority now....if we cant find the right guy to put beside him then why keep him? His blunders stress me out, a lot!

I also think the Seattle expansion adds an interesting dynamic. Assuming Dermott is his replacement could we sign Jake now to term but leave him exposed? We are sure to lose someone that hurts and by that time Sandin/Lilj/Dermott would certainly be ready for bigger roles.

 

[garyturner3]

It's so frustrating watching this guy play every game. Not for the reason you're thinking though. He's such a good player and the level of hate he gets drives me nuts when I see how much he impacts the game in a positive way. Just watch how he carries the puck on every shift. Who the hell are we going to get to replace that if we let him walk? Nobody internally yet that's for sure. Nobody on the open market either unless you're paying them a significant amount of money.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

We can't afford him on next years CAP pure and simple. Personally I think offensively he is better than Rielly as his hands are better. But his brain well when you have nothing good to say say no more. Rielly OA much better. And he is our pick and we developed him so he wins that role.

We need to trade Gards and get back a defense who can skate but who also has some size and can take a leadership role on the defensive side of the game. If we have to throw in a pick or two do it. But no way to throwing in Kappy. Maybe Johnsson but no way Kappy. But we need to find a way to ensure playoff success this year.

 

[DanM]

All I know is we should not be letting all our assets walk for free. That is not the way to do it in the new NHL. This stuff will come back to bite teams in the ass.

I would move him at the deadline, maybe even add a bit, and try to get another Dman in, at least a defensive D as I know it's next to impossible to replace the points we would lose from his absence.

 

[tmlms13]

I like Jake sure he makes mistakes but he a lot better than most of the D they have. He's going to easily get 7.0m on the open market

 

[FrozenJagrt]

This thread would be much better if it was just us posting pictures/videos of Gardiner and trying to figure out what (if any) thoughts were going through his head. Guy looks like the gears stopped turning upstairs a long time ago.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

This thread would be much better if it was just us posting pictures/videos of Gardiner and trying to figure out what (if any) thoughts were going through his head. Guy looks like the gears stopped turning upstairs a long time ago.

All I can remember is game 4 2nd period it is 1-1 when we were killing Boston but Rask was stoning us with like 3 or 4 unreal saves. Then 3 minutes left in 2nd and we lose face off in their end McQuaid shoots it off glass and Gards is on their blue line. So what does a good defensive d do? He either backs off the blue line because he sees Boston has us outnumbered OR he takes out Pasternak with a hit who is coming straight at him. and lets his defense partner slide over to retreive the puck. This is a F*CKING no brainer. What does Gards do? Well nothing of course. He stands at line and misses the puck on the bounce and then lets Pasternak skate right by him for a 2 on 1 with *SS Marchand. Bruins score and carry rest of game. It was a killer for us. and the guy does it at times when it kills us. His brain farts are ENORMOUS. It is same result as a SOFTIE by a goalie.

 

[hockeywiz542]

The path for the Leafs to keep Jake Gardiner looks...

Jake Gardiner hasn’t spent much time pondering his future with the Maple Leafs beyond this season, not yet at least.

“Nothing’s really been on the table so I haven’t thought too much about it, really,” Gardiner, a pending unrestricted free agent next summer, said. “When that day comes, I’ll talk with my family and see what happens.”

In other words, according to Gardiner, there’s been no contract offer from the Leafs to this point, despite continued talks between GM Kyle Dubas and Gardiner’s agent, Pat Brisson.

It’s not exactly surprising that the Leafs haven’t tabled an offer to the 28-year-old defenceman. How can they without knowing the term and dollar figure of second contracts for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner?

The structure of those deals could very well determine whether the Leafs can keep Gardiner long-term, and even then, the path looks pretty narrow to make it all happen.

“We’d like him to be here, (but) it’s not as simple as it sounds,” Dubas said of contract talks with Gardiner during an unscheduled meet-up with media earlier this week. “We only have a certain amount that you can divvy up and it’s trying to make that all work.”

“It’s just something I’ll have to talk about with my wife. If (there’s an offer) on the table then we’ll talk about it and go from there,” Gardiner said when it came to taking less to stay. “You just gotta play well and the rest will take care of itself — whether it’s here or somewhere else. Obviously I’m focused on this year and helping this team win so we’ll see after that.”

 

[unitedstars87]

Reilly - Paryko
Gardiner - xxx
Dermott - Oz

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Mango - Tavares - Kap
xxx - Kadri - xxx
Grundstrom - xxx - Marchment