Yup, could be a playoff warrior for us...you need grit/toughness in playoffs...gets tougher and tougher in the REAL season (playoffs). Have to make the playoffs AND go far in it (not just make the playoffs). Cousins should make us harder to play (a la Brandon Prust) vs easier.
Yup, Gardiner is soft as butter and is a turnover machine (surprised there were Hab fans here who wanted to add him...and our LEFTIE side is full now: Chiarot, Kulak, Mete, and Reilly as #7-8 dman...or 4th LEFTIE dman). I don't care if it's $4-5mil/yr or $3mil/yr for Gardiner...why would you want to add such a SOFT SOFT dman who EASILY lets forwards crash the net or go to the net?
Back to Nick Cousins: imo, he might end up being our next Brandon Prust (the Prust we had in the first 2-3 seasons, not the last season). Cousins might sometimes be good for our 3rd line (and not just the 4th line).