The offseason for Jake Gardiner

[Morgs]

I'd love him back, and he'll be almost impossible to replace. Unless we find a way to dump Marleau, Zaitsev, and Brown, and Marner takes what he's actually worth (assuming Kapanen/Johnsson will bridge around 3M)

But... honestly we're in a better position for letting him go than we've probably ever been in. Rielly is a top-10 defenseman in hockey, Muzzin is a top-20 LD, Dermott is looking like an absolute stud, and Rosen/Lily/Sandin all look like they can contribute actually good top-6 defense next season.

 

[The90]

What is this thread. A gardiner appreciation? What is this nonsense. When’s he getting scratched / traded lol

 

[shortfuze]

I think the playoffs for Jake is going to be a telling sign with regards to his future with the Leafs.

It’ll probably be a sign to other teams as well if they want to take a run at him in the off season, if he has a bad playoffs.

 

[Jozay]

Leafs dont have the cap space to bring him back.

 

[Legion34]

Unless marleau goes its tough. Even then it’s pretty tight


Except he may opt for back surgery. In which case we may be able to put him
On the LTIR to start the year like p-rise?

 

[LeafSteel]

I like Jake, but he would be a luxury we can’t afford.

Muzzi, Rielly and Dermott are all LHD and Sandin will be pushing through soon.

I still think he would’ve been traded at the TDL if he hadn’t been injured, and we would have gotten a 1st round pick for him.

I like Jake, and he genuinely loves being in Toronto, but he will get more money elsewhere. I wish him all the best...... but we have a playoff to win first......

 

[nuck]

He has no future with the Leafs. They cannot afford to spend that kind of money, never mind on another LD, the Muzzin acquisition saw to that. However they squeak by on Marner they will have Rielly in a couple of years and that is just too many long term big dollar deals. They need to be adding cheap vets, not being the final long term score for one.

 

[Buds17]

Is anyone disappointed to see yet another player of value walk from this team with nothing to show for it? Would you like to see Dubas trade his rights prior to July 1st so we can at least recoup even a sliver of his value?

Tough without knowing what he could have returned with certainty. Would have had more value the further away he'd have been from UFA, but he'd have had more value to the Leafs too. An exception would be a trade and sign, but I don't know how realistic that might have been.

Not sure the trading of rights is as much of a thing since the league introduced the UFA courting period.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Blue line will need a reshuffle in the next year anyway... Jake makes the current group better but he'll be too expensive to keep.

Better to lean on the kids (Sandin, Liljegren) to provide good play on ELC's.

 

[DarkKnight]

Good first game back really.

 

[baton elevated]

Is anyone disappointed to see yet another player of value walk from this team with nothing to show for it? Would you like to see Dubas trade his rights prior to July 1st so we can at least recoup even a sliver of his value?

Of course, just another of many mistakes this management has made the last 2 years. They keep assuming this team is close or more capable than they have shown. They believe our pipeline will feed the big club but that is yet to be determined. players like AJ and Kap are fine and all but not anything other teams don't have too.
With the cap issues we face going forward the extra picks to replenish the cupboards would have come in handy.

 

[baton elevated]

Is anyone disappointed to see yet another player of value walk from this team with nothing to show for it? Would you like to see Dubas trade his rights prior to July 1st so we can at least recoup even a sliver of his value?

Of course, just another of many mistakes this management has made the last 2 years. They keep assuming this team is close or more capable than they have shown. They believe our pipeline will feed the big club but that is yet to be determined. players like AJ and Kap are fine and all but not anything other teams don't have too.
With the cap issues we face going forward the extra picks to replenish the cupboards would have come in handy.

 

[67Leafs67]

I love Gardiner. Been one of my favourite Leafs ever since he made his debut back in the bleak Brian Burke days. Probably one of the few good trades Burke actually made. He definitely does not merit the ire that he has received from some, and probably also not the extreme praise from others, but overall, he's a clear top pair defender at the NHL level, produced excellently with Toronto, and has been a major factor in facilitating their transition game over his time here.

Can we afford a defenseman this good? Probably not. I believe he will be gone, and there is nothing we can do about it, unless we ship off a bunch of other good talent. I'm definitely upset about it, I loved Gardiner, and will be sad to see him go. But from an objective standpoint, it makes most sense. Look how good Calle Rosen has looked in the AHL, and his few NHL games so far this season. Big strides from him in these last two seasons with the Marlies program since his first few games in 17-18. With Dermott, Rielly, Muzzin, and him on the left side, Gardiner is not a piece that we necessarily need. Definitely an upgrade on Rosen/Dermott, but not one we can afford.

 

[thewave]

Looked fine, needs another game to get up to speed for sure.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

You know Shanny has a big part in negotiations too, right?

In fact he was the one who came out verbalized his desires for the kids to take less money.

The more people want to personally insult Dubas over the contracts, the less they understand about how the negotiations are conducted. It's like they believe he just sits in a room alone with the agent and gives in to whatever they ask right away, which is pretty silly

 

[Nithoniniel]

The more people want to personally insult Dubas over the contracts, the less they understand about how the negotiations are conducted. It's like they believe he just sits in a room alone with the agent and gives in to whatever they ask right away, which is pretty silly

I don't think I've ever experienced a new GM coming in with so many people looking to tear him down. Certain posters want to praise Lou to the heavens for two good contracts and two bad ones, but then give Dubas no credit for acquiring a franchise center and a top pairing d-man. All that matters is that our #13 forward is soft, and that the team Dubas inherited lacks grit, while somehow ignoring that the two grittiest players on the team are guys that Dubas acquired.

I've said it before, I have never before seen any GM for any team given no credit or blame for a high-profile acquisition. Somehow Dubas is the exception to that after signing the best UFA in the cap era.

Even when you look at the contracts he's given out. How much of an overpayment are they? The worst you can possible argue is that it's about $1.5M too much. Well.... Lou gave a $2M overpayment for Zaitsev, and a $3M overpayment for Marleau.

It's not exactly hard to figure out the root cause of all this.

 

[al secord]

The hate will return and run deep after these playoffs methinks.

 

[al secord]

I don't think I've ever experienced a new GM coming in with so many people looking to tear him down. Certain posters want to praise Lou to the heavens for two good contracts and two bad ones, but then give Dubas no credit for acquiring a franchise center and a top pairing d-man. All that matters is that our #13 forward is soft, and that the team Dubas inherited lacks grit, while somehow ignoring that the two grittiest players on the team are guys that Dubas acquired.

I've said it before, I have never before seen any GM for any team given no credit or blame for a high-profile acquisition. Somehow Dubas is the exception to that after signing the best UFA in the cap era.

Even when you look at the contracts he's given out. How much of an overpayment are they? The worst you can possible argue is that it's about $1.5M too much. Well.... Lou gave a $2M overpayment for Zaitsev, and a $3M overpayment for Marleau.

It's not exactly hard to figure out the root cause of all this.

Well said.

 

[IPS]

I don't think I've ever experienced a new GM coming in with so many people looking to tear him down. Certain posters want to praise Lou to the heavens for two good contracts and two bad ones, but then give Dubas no credit for acquiring a franchise center and a top pairing d-man. All that matters is that our #13 forward is soft, and that the team Dubas inherited lacks grit, while somehow ignoring that the two grittiest players on the team are guys that Dubas acquired.

I've said it before, I have never before seen any GM for any team given no credit or blame for a high-profile acquisition. Somehow Dubas is the exception to that after signing the best UFA in the cap era.

Even when you look at the contracts he's given out. How much of an overpayment are they? The worst you can possible argue is that it's about $1.5M too much. Well.... Lou gave a $2M overpayment for Zaitsev, and a $3M overpayment for Marleau.

It's not exactly hard to figure out the root cause of all this.

I realized how insane the Dubas hate train was after we acquired Muzzin.

I just found it so hilarious how many folks were screaming for a tough gritty prescence in the top-4 D and Dubas acquires the best one available and the hate crew immediately moves to the fact that Muzzin is not right-handed so it invalidates the acquisition. All while completely ignoring the fact that we have two top-4 guys leaving as UFA's next year so we'll need a LHD top-4 anyway.

Tipped me off that they're just gonna hate Dubas no matter what he does.

 

[thewave]

The hate will return and run deep after these playoffs methinks.

Reality is that he is a guy we should have tried to get for around 6m x 6yrs and kept. I don't think that's going to happen because the overpays and expected overpay of Marner. That leaves us pretty damn thin on D next season TBH.

 

[hullsy47]

Reality is that he is a guy we should have tried to get for around 6m x 6yrs and kept. I don't think that's going to happen because the overpays and expected overpay of Marner. That leaves us pretty damn thin on D next season TBH.

lol 6 mil dreaming

 

[Kazparov]

He will sign with Boston. He's been winning games for them single handedly for years now

 

[96]

Piece of f***ing garbage.

He’ll never play another game in a Leafs jersey.

 

[Devilsfan118]

Damn this guy is not a big game player

 

[HomerJLeafs]

Bye.
See you wherever just not in Toronto.

 

[TopCheese]

He just looks scared and overwhelmed out there. Not a guy you can rely on in big games. He’s done as a leaf