Jake Gardiner is fun to watch

[Bravid Nonahan]

I think with his increased responsibility and ice time, Gardiner's confidence is up a lot this year. He routinely makes pretty nifty little plays to elude forecheckers and is really skating well. I've just enjoyed watching him the last little while.

Thoughts?

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[Rayzorexe]

I remember the days of us trying to get rid of him as a sweetener in any deal and now i feel like it will take an overpayment to move him out now.

Babcock really helped out his game by giving him minutes with Phaneuf early in the season.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

He's been phenomenal out there.

Point totals will increase considerably as we insert talent around him. He's a special player.

 

[Pyrophorus]

I'll be frank: They've been better without Dion.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I used to **** all over him on here, couldn't stand him. I wouldn't want to trade him for a mid first and a second now.

Still hasn't played 400 games yet either i don't think. Completely 180° turnaround for my thinking.

A very nice building block on defense now that pretty well gets lost in the hype of building this team up. Great contract now too!

Only 314 nhl games under his belt. He should be peaking and playing his smartest defense in a couple years from now.

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

He's been phenomenal out there.

Point totals will increase considerably as we insert talent around him. He's a special player.

I love the way he fakes out guys, he just has amazing poise with the puck, and those little skating plays too where he does spins or pivots, it's just fun to watch. With Babcock teaching him and Rielly, good things are on the horizon

 

[Mitchy]

He has always been good. He's just taken it to the next level over the last while. Such a stud.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

I love the way he fakes out guys, he just has amazing poise with the puck, and those little skating plays too where he does spins or pivots, it's just fun to watch. With Babcock teaching him and Rielly, good things are on the horizon

It's a direct effect of the coaching staff showing confidence in him and letting him play his game. You saw it start the second Carlyle was fired. He's gotten better and better ever since.

Thank God we fired Randy.

 

[Apotheosis]

Anchoring the second pairing for sure. Him and Rielly are locks IMO.

 

[TMLeafer]

He's been playing great. The best word I can think of to describe it is COMPOSED. He's always been a great skater, but the moves and spins he's pulling off now with increased minutes, confidence, and responsibility are fun to watch. He's been pretty solid all year long, credit to him and the coaching staff. Him and Carrick are a pretty stable pairing.

 

[Sip]

He's always been fun to watch. Not much has changed except he's getting good ice time. Jake will always make some really nice plays; he's noticeable on the ice. It works 80% of the time, the other 20% it results in a turnover.

He just needs a solid, good skating, reliable defense partner so when there is a turnover there is someone to bail him out.

 

[Auston Matthews]

He is exciting to watch and thats why he is my favourite player.

Jake's name has had some dark days around HF particularly when Interactif would rag on him day in and day out.

Jake has a rare skillset in the NHL nowadays that is only seen with elite NHL defensemen. Having confidence to skate the puck down and making lots of skill plays.

 

[Rayzorexe]

Gardiner always played very inconsistently for the first 50-60 games in the 3 full seasons while turning it up near the end.

It wasn't until this season where he was put with Phaneuf and being given minutes like Rielly that he's played a lot better.

 

[frizzer1]

A wonderful,graceful skater...a ballet dancer on skates..

 

[p.l.f.]

great skater
the think tank isn't always full mind u

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Called it this year that babs would make him the most improved player

 

[p.l.f.]

biggest improvement is hes getting the puck out so much better
he used to make those stupid fakes and cough up the puck too much in the corner

 

[Purity*]

It's a direct effect of the coaching staff showing confidence in him and letting him play his game. You saw it start the second Carlyle was fired. He's gotten better and better ever since.

Thank God we fired Randy.

So glad we got rid of Carlyle before he ruined Gardiner and Rielly.

It was so blatantly obvious the negative effects his coaching was having on Gardiner.

Can't believe we had people around here trashing Gardiner and praising Carlyle.

 

[Stats01]

He's been great this year. Another solid game tonight, Rielly 1st pairing lock, Gardiner 2nd pairing lock.

 

[Le Cobra]

Gardiner is an elite skater with a very underrated shot. I think if he were on Chicago he would be in the top 10 defensemen. So happy he's on the Leafs. I've been saying these things about him since the 2013 playoffs. He will be a huge part of our next playoff run. When he is confident he is one of the best players in the league.

 

[diceman934]

A few things....

Our D has looked so much better since we traded Dion...

Gardiner has always been a good D man and when used the way he is now he looks great. He was a pin cushion for a long while on here and it was a direct result of Carlyle and the bad D partners he suffered playing with.

So happy with our D since the trade of Dion.

 

[Le Cobra]

To be fair it took our D a while to adjust without Dion...but they have been doing a bang up job the last 4-5 games now. The team is really cycling the puck well

 

[Guy Boucher]

He hasn't improved this year.

He is just now playing in a system that lets him utilize his skating more. He was great under Wilson too.

He just "looks" like he's improved but he's always been very good.

 

[teeder333*]

He has done it again, gotta give him credit, he turns it on late in the season and creates a warm and fuzzy for fans and coaches.

If he played like this for most of the season I would say he has a chance to be an all star. He won't get away with this next season under Babcock, so maybe Mike will light an eternal fire for this kid. When he is going, he is gorgeous to watch, no doubt about that.

 

[Mats13]

I remember the days of us trying to get rid of him as a sweetener in any deal and now i feel like it will take an overpayment to move him out now.

Babcock really helped out his game by giving him minutes with Phaneuf early in the season.

For what it's worth, quite a few of us were against the idea of trading him and have liked him all along. Just saying