I don't think you understand how possession stats are compiled.
Probably not, I'm not up to date on most of the new statistics used. Care to explain or provide a link so I can inform myself? I'm speaking from watching the games, I don't see him possess the puck that much, unless he is circling in his own end, or going for a loop and ending up turning it over at the blueline off of a blown pass.
What is your deal with narratives and why must you constantly spew them without clear, quantifiable evidence?
I didn't say he's a Norris trophy candidate. He doesn't need to be a Norris trophy candidate to be a great player. He doesn't need to be Chara, Karlsson, Doughty, whoever. There are very few Karlssons and Doughtys. Does that mean everyone else is worthless/not good?
Based on your belief as to why Gardiner's possession numbers are high, you don't understand possession stats. He also plays 19:30 per game, not 17.
He also plays on one of the worst teams in the league with a putrid offense. If he were on a playoff-skilled team, he'd likely produce more.
He's easily a #3. He's easily the team's best D. There are numbers to quantify this. Yes the core as a whole is pretty bad, but Gardiner is one of few brightspots on the roster right now.
He's extremely undervalued around here. There is no reason to trade Jake Gardiner.
I'm not trying to spew, I'm speaking from my eyeballs perspective. So that is my quantifying evidence, I see what he does.
You are correct, just as Nylund was, I'm not 100% on any of the new advanced stats. I've just been watching this team for 25 years, and been around the game a lot. I was also wrong about his ice time, I didn't check, I was just approximating. Still, 5th lowest on the team. And he gets less DVS than Polak, whom you mentioned. Polak also gets more icetime, no PP time, and is on the PK constantly, so yes I think he is better at defense than Jake. Polak also has a better +/- while being in less favourable situations, 4 less points. My opinion, maybe I'm wrong, Maybe Babcock is utilizing the players improperly, who knows.
He isn't the best Dman on the team, otherwise his ice time, responsibilities, and situational starts would be different. You really like him, cool, I don't. Over the past four/five seasons I have watched, and been told the whole time "He has great stats! You don't understand". Yet I see him making the same mental errors he always has. That's what I see, hence why I don't care if we trade him.