Speculation: LeBrun: Leafs and Gardiner discussing extension?

[SprDaVE]

LeBrun Notebook: Max Pacioretty, John Tavares and the trades...

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas chatted with agent Pat Brisson on Friday regarding Jake Gardiner, who has one year left on his deal before becoming UFA in July 2019. Dubas and Brisson began discussing what an extension might look like. Gardiner, 27, enters the final year of a deal which pays him $4.05 million on the cap.

Not a surprise the Leafs and Dubas would try to re-sign him. He's a quality defenseman and unfairly hated in these parts.

I suspect that if they can't agree to a number this summer the Leafs might be looking at trading him at some point.

Either way, it's good to hear some news on him. I feel like the Leafs really need to either extend him or trade. Letting assets walk for nothing, especially as good as Gardiner, is awful asset management.

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[ChrisCall]

Oh god no...

 

[TMLeafs17]

At minimum he’s our 2nd best Dman. He hasn’t been sheltered at all, and if we could afford to shelter him he would terrorize those matchups. I would love to keep him on a fair contract!

 

[WilliamNylander]

He's a top pairing D man in the NHL. The question we have to ask is...how long until Dermott is better?

I wonder if we give Jake a few more years to bridge the gap. 6-7 years would be too many IMO.

 

[MR4]

I'll be surprised if we sign him, doesn't really fit into the cap structure. But Dubas may love his analytics

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

I've been one of Jake's biggest defenders on this forum but unless it's the same as he's making now I'd probably move on. Dermott needs a shot and we need to free up money for the big 3.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

So what if he's the Leafs second best Dman now. You have to think of what is going to be in the future. At age 28 he's likely peaked. Time to move on from Jake if only for cap reasons

 

[Hclass47]

We need to see what he’s asking. If the number makes sense and is reasonable without a no trade you sign him. if the team doesn’t progress with him it’s time to move on from him while he still has good value - term. A year from now with him signed with term oppose to a possible 1 year rental will get you a higher return.

 

[Magic Man]

6Mx4Yrs

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

He's a top pairing D man in the NHL. The question we have to ask is...how long until Dermott is better?

I wonder if we give Jake a few more years to bridge the gap. 6-7 years would be too many IMO.

No He's not, I like Jake, he has all the offensive talent in the world but he does not even try defensively he just doesn't, you can't be as bad as can be on some nights and then tell me you tried defensively

 

[Grandrift145]

Jake at around 5 million for for 5 or 6 years is a good deal. If he wants 6 million or want to wait until he's UFA we should trade him this off season

we need to keep our good defenseman but we can't afford to lose a player for nothing to UFA like JVR

 

[Clark4Ever]

Great signing as long as we don't face Boston in the playoffs

 

[moon111]

I am going to be very interested in Jake this season. Phil Kessel was an unmotivated lump of go through the motions of a player until he was openly mocked by Ovechkin. Then you saw a huge influence in him when the Leafs took a loss to deal him. Pittsburgh inherited a motivated Kessel. I think Jake Gardiner has been successful, going through his own motions. Really I haven't seen incremental improvements in his game. But now? Gardiner just might have something to prove.

 

[supermann_98]

Hopefully Dubas met him to tell him they will be shopping Jake

 

[HC7]

Prob gauging his next contract so he can deal him.

 

[ToneDog]

We have a ton of cap space this year and if we sign JT, we need Jake for a deep run. Sign him to a reasonable deal and trade him next year when the cap becomes more of an issue.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

I think he’s trying to see what gardiner will want and might trade him if it’s too much. If they go all in for next year with Tavares though, it would be tough to trade him away.

 

[kyle n00bas]

That it's pretty consistently the most boneheaded Leafs fans on the internet getting mad at Dubas is encouraging

I agree that this is just to get a sense of what his demands are going to be. Wouldn't shock me if he were traded, especially if Tavares ends up signing here. Otherwise I'd be happy to re-sign him at a friendly cap hit.

 

[Brobust]

As long as he doesn't get trade protections.

 

[ToneDog]

This website is seriously sick. They have a week to get it healthy or it will flatline next week.

 

[weems]

Signing him is protecting the asset and its magnified even more in this spot because we just lost two non core UFA's and got zero return.

He'll most likely be signed and moved in 1-2 years and the team getting him will get him with term unlike any team that trades for him now or during the season.

 

[Mkdaman1818]

LeBrun Notebook: Max Pacioretty, John Tavares and the trades...



Not a surprise the Leafs and Dubas would try to re-sign him. He's a quality defenseman and unfairly hated in these parts.

I suspect that if they can't agree to a number this summer the Leafs might be looking at trading him at some point.

Either way, it's good to hear some news on him. I feel like the Leafs really need to either extend him or trade. Letting assets walk for nothing, especially as good as Gardiner, is awful asset management.

An interesting note as Gardiner’s agent is also Tavares’ agent. That matters... agents usually try and negotiate for many of their clients simultaneously to get the best overall deal for themselves.

 

[Paladin2799]

I want nothing to do with a long term lifer contract for Gardiner.

If he wants 8 years unless its coming at 4m a year I want nothing to do with it.

I'm happy to give him short term cash, or a middle ground like 5x5.5 or something.

Otherwise he holds enough value in the league i'd play him to the deadline then move him.

 

[DarkKnight]

Just make sure the contract is tradeable, reasonable term and don't give a no move. Never bet on Jake with certainty, you don't do that with an enigma, leave flexibility. If we wants too much, then trade him imho.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I want nothing to do with a long term lifer contract for Gardiner.

If he wants 8 years unless its coming at 4m a year I want nothing to do with it.

I'm happy to give him short term cash, or a middle ground like 5x5.5 or something.

Otherwise he holds enough value in the league i'd play him to the deadline then move him.

Agreed. Buh- bye Jake.

 

[Spirit of 67]

This seems more like a housekeeping type move.

 

[Stephen]

Makes sense to re-sign him than let him go for nothing. Even if at some point you trade him, it's better than letting him walk like JVR.

 

[ashs]

Can we save that money and get doughty?

 

[KeziaTML]

Please no...

He is a top tier offense defenseman but his offense doesn't outshine his defensive gaffs, which single handedly cost us a series losing game.

 

[garce]

5 years at a reasonable hit is fine, no trade/movement protection and as heavily front loaded as permitted so he will be as easy to move as possible in the last couple of years.

 

[Mr Hockey]

dont do it Dubas ... We cant have him and Andersen and expect to win a couple rounds.

 

[rumman]

I'd be happy to resign him, just not with a no trade clause. It's the smart move, Gard's is a quality D man, and if the kids develop as expected he can be moved when they're ready, not before imo.

 

[Battle Lin]

i would wait the year, see how dermott and lily looks this coming year and go from there, if dermott improves and lily takes a step, i dont know if we bring back gardiner, jake aint gonna be cheap either hes a very good D, a lot of teams will offer him money

 

[ShaneFalco]

My guess is he's going to want around 6 mill for 6+ years.
So at that price, no

 

[rent free]

f*** no

 

[AppsSyl]

Does anyone actually truly believe they were meeting to discuss a Gardiner extension right now?
They had to give some reason for a meeting.

 

[Menzinger]

The Leafs defense would look ugly without him. If a reasonable contract can be reached, ie a 5x5ish in range, it’s worth it. He’s comfortably a #3 D man.

That said, I’d be open to trading him, but only if there isn’t a reasonable compromise on contract cant be had - ie no more of this “own rental” nonsense at the deadline.

 

[shaner8989]

Insane. Guy single handedly cost the leafs the season. Putrid player with no hockey sense or IQ

 

[Jozay]

hopefully its at like 5.5 lol

 

[WilliamNylander]

Top 15 in defenseman points right around Josi Subban Doughty Karlsson and Herman while playing big minutes on a top 5 team in the NHL.

He’s going to ask for a lot of money...

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

good. great player

 

[justafan22]

You can't let both him and JVR walk for nothing in back to back years.

He'll be the 2nd most in demand LHD UFA next summer only behind McDonagh.

 

[Mikeyg]

does brisson represent every player? like holy f***

 

[aingefan]

This seems more like a housekeeping type move.

This sounds right to me.
The most logical order of operations.
He should be one of the most attractive available D on the trade market.

 

[Oskar The Groucho]

If he is resigned this would be a terrible move. Please for gods sake no