What will it take to motivate Jake?

[darrylsittler27]

He can be sat.

We just need a fully healthy D. Percy has regressed,Granberg too. If we want to make the playoffs we do need Gardiner and Franson.The Leafs can and will let Franson walk if they have to.Its Reilly makes Gardiner expendable..Franson is peaking.

Whatever GM pulls a Clarkson and signs Franson to a $5M plus is on for a rude surprise.

 

[hullsy47]

I'd say package Gardiner for a conditional 6th.

sad part is he is signed to a very non tradable ,head scratching contract in a cap world .clarkson and gardiner contracts sadly are all we wil remember dave NONUTS when he.s canned .
and after carlyle practicaly
came out on national television saying gardiner is basically lost ,he signed him long term ,
now that the leafs are better ,it gets easier to spot the mistakes in the lineup ,GM/s get fired for bonehead mistakes in a cap world .
bye bye dave

 

[Erdinger]

We just need a fully healthy D. Percy has regressed,Granberg too. If we want to make the playoffs we do need Gardiner and Franson.The Leafs can and will let Franson walk if they have to.Its Reilly makes Gardiner expendable..Franson is peaking.

Whatever GM pulls a Clarkson and signs Franson to a $5M plus is on for a rude surprise.

Totally agree with you on Franson. Like you said we are getting the best of him right now. Some times it's better just for once to let some other GM pay for a guy having a career year rather than the Leafs going nuts like Nonis did with Clarkson and apparently Gardiner. I have never really been that impressed with Gardiner and thought this long contract was dumb but what is done is done. Nonis has to find a way to ship him out. Does it really matter if he finds his game with another team if the Leafs can use the cap room to keep some other players who are actually playing well in a Toronto uniform?

 

[thewave]

Totally agree with you on Franson. Like you said we are getting the best of him right now. Some times it's better just for once to let some other GM pay for a guy having a career year rather than the Leafs going nuts like Nonis did with Clarkson and apparently Gardiner. I have never really been that impressed with Gardiner and thought this long contract was dumb but what is done is done. Nonis has to find a way to ship him out. Does it really matter if he finds his game with another team if the Leafs can use the cap room to keep some other players who are actually playing well in a Toronto uniform?

They are fixed on the idea we can make the playoffs and compete. Franson will just walk in that scenario. Not good at all. We need value back that's the important part here. Same with Jake.

 

[The Iceman]

Jake will always entice with his skill set.
He will also ALWAYS disappoint with his in game dedication to doing the right thing.
He needs to be viewed as a marginal piece to the success of this team. Fools gold. If you can get another GM to provide a player less flashy but more reliable I would sell in an instant. Jake holds value for that GM thinking he can unlock the treasure that is there but will never be found. Think Oak Island.

In fact that is my new nickname for Gardiner. OAK ISLAND.
LOL

 

[Commander Clueless]

Totally agree with you on Franson. Like you said we are getting the best of him right now. Some times it's better just for once to let some other GM pay for a guy having a career year rather than the Leafs going nuts like Nonis did with Clarkson and apparently Gardiner. I have never really been that impressed with Gardiner and thought this long contract was dumb but what is done is done. Nonis has to find a way to ship him out. Does it really matter if he finds his game with another team if the Leafs can use the cap room to keep some other players who are actually playing well in a Toronto uniform?

Problem with letting Franson walk is that really hurts the right side. We'd need to replace him, and that wouldn't be cheap either (be it in trade or in free agency).

 

[Bullseye]

Gardiner doesn't need motivation he needs to be moved to a different position.

 

[headwire]

Gardiner doesn't need motivation he needs to be moved to a different position.

With the way Gardiner is performing this year, the only position that I think he'd be suitable for is the press box.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This is why I disliked the 5 year deal, a bridge deal of 2-2.5 would have gave him a kick in the bum. 24 year old young men at times need incentive to play hard.

I can't really blame Jake, he just got a nice secure 20 million pay out. One would hope he would play for pride. Not all players can be like this.

RFA status was put in place to aid teams control players until they turn 27. Not the other way around.

 

[Stephen]

I'd strongly consider moving Jake up to LW or something where he can be an irresponsible forward who can provide a bit of "Mason Raymond" speed and some more offense. Otherwise he's just not learning how to be a defenseman at all.

The guy just seems so braindead. His skating is careless and wobbly, and for someone with such good mechanics, it seems like he likes to play the game at a half pace like he can casually freeze forecheckers with his little head fakes. He also never seems to win a foot race. He moves in wide loops instead of straight lines. His decisions with the puck are so careless. He can't hit to save his life and resorts to little jabby stick checks instead of just physically engaging to stop a guy. He's so bad. Whatever kind of buy in you need from your players, he has demonstrated none.

 

[Raging Bull]

I expect him to have 15 good games to end the year and that will be enough for everyone to forget how terrible he is for 3/4 of every season.

 

[PlietscherDassel]

I think Gardiner would do much better on some other team in a smaller market and therefore could use a change of scenery. To make it happen Nonahan need to find a player in a similar situation with a similar contract. Suggestions?

 

[Rufio65*]

I think Gardiner would do much better on some other team in a smaller market and therefore could use a change of scenery. To make it happen Nonahan need to find a player in a similar situation with a similar contract. Suggestions?

What does going to a smaller market have to do with:

1) Playing scared.
2) His complete lack of on ice awareness

I think that he would do much better in the KHL.

 

[hockeyes]

Gardiner desperately needs a few press box games to try and reset, at this point it's cruel to keep trotting him out there.

 

[NarcoPolo]

This guy isn't a good hockey player.. Idk what some people see in him to say he has top pairing upside but he just doesn't at all. He's arguably are dumbest defensemen and is God awful defensively. If it were up to me he would've been gone last offseason. Trade him and promote rielly to the 2nd pair and let him anchor the 2nd pp unit.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

This guy isn't a good hockey player.. Idk what some people see in him to say he has top pairing upside but he just doesn't at all. He's arguably are dumbest defensemen and is God awful defensively. If it were up to me he would've been gone last offseason. Trade him and promote rielly to the 2nd pair and let him anchor the 2nd pp unit.

What would you get back for this idiot in a trade? They should have done it last offseason when they could have sold high on him. The only way you get something back for him now is to say RC is the reason he is playing like HOT GARBAGE.

I really don't get the high praise and love for this guy...I just don't...he does nothing offensively and is a moron in his own end.

He is also not coachable, in a recent game they showed him being talked to be the assistant coach (Horacek) after making a mistake...he was staring straight ahead not even acknowledging the coach talking to him. Conversely, Reilly was given a similar chat the same game and was involved in the chat looking back and responding to the coach. So the guy is just braindead and he thinks he is Karlsson or something with the puck.

He actually makes Phaneuf look like a Norris candidate...that is very hard to do...

 

[Brock Radunske]

Jake Gardiner has arguably been the worst leaf in the ice now for some time. He seems to look hesitant to make decisions and panics under check.

Is it time to experiment with Jake?

Do you feel that a wing placement would force him to use his skating abilities more and be a good test of his decision making ability moving up ice rather than when large bodies are closing in?

I have come to believe it really is time to see what jake can do as a winger. I feel that he is uncomfortable being forced by nature Of his position to be under check. I think that he is more suited to being a slippery winger at this point.

The kid need a brain transplant.

 

[Raging Bull]

We just need a fully healthy D. Percy has regressed,Granberg too. If we want to make the playoffs we do need Gardiner and Franson.The Leafs can and will let Franson walk if they have to.Its Reilly makes Gardiner expendable..Franson is peaking.

Whatever GM pulls a Clarkson and signs Franson to a $5M plus is on for a rude surprise.

He should be sat now for Holzer who has played well enough to earn a spot for the time being.

Phaneuf - Franson
Rielly - Polak
Robidas - Holzer

 

[Daisy Jane]

they were just talking about Jake right now on Leafs Lunch and they were saying that Jake's problem is that he 'thinks too much' and if he just does what he needs to do it automatically shows up (sort of like muscle reflex).

i hope so. because he sure is dumbdumb right now

 

[Purity*]

This is the exact same narrative Franson went through last year. Gardiner is and has shown to be a much better D-man in the past. Off-years happen to everyone. Trading Gardiner at his lowest value would be a mistake given the ability he's shown in the past. That said, I'm completely in favor of scratching him a couple games.

 

[Pi]

Gardiner only shows up after the season is over.

He doesn't need motivation, he needs to be traded.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

they were just talking about Jake right now on Leafs Lunch and they were saying that Jake's problem is that he 'thinks too much' and if he just does what he needs to do it automatically shows up (sort of like muscle reflex).

i hope so. because he sure is dumbdumb right now

Dreger predicted he would be moved before the end of the year.

 

[PlietscherDassel]

What does going to a smaller market have to do with:

1) Playing scared.
2) His complete lack of on ice awareness

I think that he would do much better in the KHL.

I think his flaws can be explained by lack of confidence because of the "Carlyle treatment" he got. It should be easier to regain his confidence in a smaller market. Believe me the players know that they are under the microscope every single game in a market like Toronto, which can be a problem if things aren't going well.

 

[Atomos2]

David Alter ‏@dalter 1h1 hour ago

Carlyle described Jake Gardiner's play lately as "very erratic". #TMLtalk

 

[Kingstonian84*]

David Alter ‏@dalter 1h1 hour ago

Carlyle described Jake Gardiner's play lately as "very erratic". #TMLtalk

That's putting IT very diplomactly.... I'd say gardiner has flat out stunk! Most nights he's been our worst defence men out there most nights, he did have one productive game against his old club though.