Where is Jake Gardiner. Is Randy sending him a message?Is anyone untouchable?

[WeWantACup]

On this episode we ask the question whats up with Jake Gardiner? Is anyone untouchable. Is Randy sending him a message?

Leaf Matters podcast
mp3
http://podalmighty.com/index.php/component/k2/item/169-leaf-matters

itunes
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/leaf-matters/id577173646?mt=2

Click to read more...

 

[The Missing Piece]

He's in the AHL waiting to get back to game shape. He is also right now about the number 8 d-man until he proves himself to be ready to go.

Better to not ruin a lifelong top notch player by feeding him to the dogs.

 

[Prototype]

He's only got a limited number of games left (<10) before he'll have to clear waivers.

He won't be back up until a trade is made, that's my guess.

 

[EDDIE20*]

He's in the AHL waiting to get back to game shape. He is also right now about the number 8 d-man until he proves himself to be ready to go.

Better to not ruin a lifelong top notch player by feeding him to the dogs.

This!

It's nice to know that we have a quality d-man like Gardiner waiting to come back up.

 

[NewFang]

Has anyone seen him play recently? How has he looked relative to pre-injury form?

 

[NewFang]

He's only got a limited number of games left (<10) before he'll have to clear waivers.

He won't be back up until a trade is made, that's my guess.

Good point

 

[ryno23]

Here is my take on Gardiner.

They are taking their time with him and letting him develop. Most players go through a sophomore slump and with his concussion this year this is a great time to let him work thru things in the AHL and not rush him back to the NHL.

Look at Schenn his first year people were saying we have a cornerstone D but by year 2 he was called a bust.

I have no problem Gardiner playing out the string in the AHL and working on his game with Eakins. Next year he comes back up and takes Liles spot as a puck moving D

On the same topic people calling for Reilly to make the club out of juniors with the depth we have now it would be OK to let him learn the pro game under Eakins.

 

[Kitsy]

I have been wondering the same thing... However judging from Liles getting the seat when Gunnar was ready to play, Carlyle seems like he really wants to strike the offensive - defensive balance, unlike last year... I think this was the pairings in FLO:

Phaneuf - Holzer
Gunnar - Kostka
Franson - Fraser

That is a very defensively responsible core group considering that the following could have been utilized:
Liles
Gardiner

Komisarek is our 9th d-man right now and I don't think he is really in the conversation after Holzer-Kostka-Fraser all passed him on the depth chart.

 

[Drew311]

Has anyone seen him play recently? How has he looked relative to pre-injury form?

His last two games have been some of his best this season.

He should be ready for a call up, although the organization may prefer playing him 25 mins a night in AHL rather than 15 minutes in the NHL.

Since he won't be waiver exempt after 3 more NHL games, I don't think they're in a rush to bring him up. They really have to be 100% sure he's ready for full-time NHL duty, because he's here to stay after the next call up.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Gardiner simply needs to simplify his game, he is trying too hard to be the whole show right now. Less is more.

 

[Leafer220]

Really seems like Carlyle likes having 3 left shots and 3 right shots on defense, along with the balance of offense and defense. So until a trade or a spot is opened up, I don't expect Gardiner to be back up, which isn't a bad thing at all. Let him develop and fully recover.

 

[MoeMoney]

Gardiner simply needs to simplify his game, he is trying too hard to be the whole show right now. Less is more.

Agreed, but it's only natural when you have that kind of talent and want to make an impact right away. Time spent in the AHL with a coach like Eakins can only help him simplify his game and once the time is right to be called back up the Leafs I think we will see a much improved Gardiner. Eakins did it with Frattin, Kadri, and now Gardiner. I have full confidence with Eakins in the AHL, hopefully he's still around when Riley plays there next season.

 

[sangreale]

Here is my take on Gardiner.

They are taking their time with him and letting him develop. Most players go through a sophomore slump and with his concussion this year this is a great time to let him work thru things in the AHL and not rush him back to the NHL.

Look at Schenn his first year people were saying we have a cornerstone D but by year 2 he was called a bust.

I have no problem Gardiner playing out the string in the AHL and working on his game with Eakins. Next year he comes back up and takes Liles spot as a puck moving D

On the same topic people calling for Reilly to make the club out of juniors with the depth we have now it would be OK to let him learn the pro game under Eakins.

Considering the way the Leafs have done things in the past this is refreshing. Of course in the past there was no one to bring up anyway.

 

[Whydidijoin*]

It is either keep Gardiner down getting 25+ minutes a night in the AHL while we are playing very well and winning, or we essentially lose one of our other guys who have stepped up and proven they can play NHL minutes, for nothing. I think all of our guys on the team now have to go through waivers, and Gardiner is also getting close AFAIK.

I don't think he comes up until there is a trade, at least not while we are winning. It is not a reflection on him. It is a reflection on how the team is playing.

As for how he has been playing, no he hasn't been *as* completely dominate as he was to start this season, but it takes time to re-gain the conditioning lost by having to sit on the couch for months (many people don't seem to realize this, it is worse in terms of rehabilitation than the concussion itself), and he has still been very good. One must also remember that our Marlies team is much worse now. They lost Kadri, Frattin, Aucoin, Holzer, Fraser, Kostka, Scrivens... You could count Komarov too. That's essentially the whole top line, 3 of the top-4 D, and the #1 goalie. Makes anybody look worse.

Gardiner is better than guys on the team right now. It is more a matter of asset management.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Agreed, but it's only natural when you have that kind of talent and want to make an impact right away. Time spent in the AHL with a coach like Eakins can only help him simplify his game and once the time is right to be called back up the Leafs I think we will see a much improved Gardiner. Eakins did it with Frattin, Kadri, and now Gardiner. I have full confidence with Eakins in the AHL, hopefully he's still around when Riley plays there next season.

I don't like the #6 on him, this may sound strange, but it reminds me of how Housley use to play. Which is kinda how Jake is playing right now.

 

[capfit9]

The team is winning, enough said.

 

[highoffglass]

The way I see it, the team is playing well, no need to rush him back in. One of the great things about having depth, I can be patient and hopefully Gardiner will get back to full health and playing at the level we saw from him last season.

It's nice to see other players stepping up in his absence.

 

[AINEC*]

He's sending the same message to him as he is to the rest of the D-men. If you play well, you'll keep playing... the reason they're really in no rush to bring him up right now.

 

[pooleboy]

Agreed, but it's only natural when you have that kind of talent and want to make an impact right away. Time spent in the AHL with a coach like Eakins can only help him simplify his game and once the time is right to be called back up the Leafs I think we will see a much improved Gardiner. Eakins did it with Frattin, Kadri, and now Gardiner. I have full confidence with Eakins in the AHL, hopefully he's still around when Riley plays there next season.

im pretty sure Rielly will be in the NHL. I dont think he can go to the AHL, if he doesn't make the leafs he would have to go back to MJ

 

[sangreale]

im pretty sure Rielly will be in the NHL. I dont think he can go to the AHL, if he doesn't make the leafs he would have to go back to MJ

I think your are right. He needs to have played 4 seasons in junior. He only has 3. As an example, Percy played with Marlies last year but he had completed his 4th year.

 

[Leafs For Life*]

He's in the AHL.. Duh..
Ask him, how should we know?
How are we supposed to know?

 

[Ash35]

I think the answer is simple. The team is playing great right now and it's a matter of if it ain't broke don't fix it. Once they loose 2 in a row he will be up.

 

[Kessely Snipes]

As many others have said, no need to bring him up while we are winning.

 

[bshaw]

dunno if somone mentioned it but he has 3 games left before having to clear waivers, wouldnt mind just seeing him spend the season in the AHL unless we can somehow pull off some trades before the deadline

 

[nsleaf]

Deciding to bring Gardiner up or not is a "good problem" to have just like having two hot goaltenders at the moment.