Jake Gardiner
- Thread starter Redleaf
- Start date
Zee
Active member
RedLeaf said:
Young guy like him and a short season for Leafs there's no reason to rush him back. Let him play into shape with the Marlies and take the summer to train. He should be back in September with a full training camp and be better for it.
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Although the Marlies have had their struggles of late, don't look now but Jake Gardiner has been one of the three stars in two of the team's last three games, and appears to be returning to form.
There was a story in The Star today about Komisarek and the Leafs log jam at Defence. With Gunner set to return and Gardiner in the wings, that would leave the Leafs with 9 serviceable defencemen.
Phanuef
Kostka
Gunner
Gardiner
Fraser
Holtzer
Franson
Liles
Komisarek
So who's in? Who's out? What are the eventual pairings. Not to mention Rielly next year? And, Paul Ranger being considered one of the Marlies best d-men for most of the season. Deep depth as they say, a nice problem considering much of the league is really hurting for defensive depth.
Add to this the eventual return of Lupul, which raises some other interesting questions. JVR has picled up his game since moving up with Kessel, so how does the top line get reconfigured? In reality, we may actually have 3 second line centers on our hands in Bozak, Grabo and Kadri.
I think all this spells some serious wheeling and dealing by the Leafs around trade deadline, if there are willing parties ready to dance. In light of all this what trades would you want to make, with who and for whom?
There was a story in The Star today about Komisarek and the Leafs log jam at Defence. With Gunner set to return and Gardiner in the wings, that would leave the Leafs with 9 serviceable defencemen.
Phanuef
Kostka
Gunner
Gardiner
Fraser
Holtzer
Franson
Liles
Komisarek
So who's in? Who's out? What are the eventual pairings. Not to mention Rielly next year? And, Paul Ranger being considered one of the Marlies best d-men for most of the season. Deep depth as they say, a nice problem considering much of the league is really hurting for defensive depth.
Add to this the eventual return of Lupul, which raises some other interesting questions. JVR has picled up his game since moving up with Kessel, so how does the top line get reconfigured? In reality, we may actually have 3 second line centers on our hands in Bozak, Grabo and Kadri.
I think all this spells some serious wheeling and dealing by the Leafs around trade deadline, if there are willing parties ready to dance. In light of all this what trades would you want to make, with who and for whom?
leafplasma
New member
Jake with a goal and 2 assists tonight on what has become a very poor Marlie squad not surprisingly. Nice to see that maybe he is putting his game back together again since the concusssion. I have my doubts we will see him with the big club this season though, unless our backend becomes decimated by injuries. With Moosejaw's season set to end March 16, I am also anxious to see Reilly in a Marlie uni.
As solid as the Leafs defence has been generally speaking, compared to perhaps expectations, I think one thing it has been lacking is a real rushing defenceman who can be the fourth guy on the attack, leading or joining the rush. I don't see Phanuef really in that role. If Gardiner gets in at some point (and we all expect that he will) who sits. My choice would be Holtzer. Although his big body is welcome, I don't think he handles the puck as well as Kostka, who is a smart player. Against the Bruins, Holzter contributed to two goals 1) losing puck at blueline to Marchand 2) Being caught way up ice on wrong side on Seguin's first goal.
proteus2000
New member
slapshot said:
Phaneuf definitely doesn't fit the role of that 4th guy on the rush...too slow. Gardiner is like the Flash out there, his speed gets him anywhere on the ice quickly, which allows him the luxury of going on the offense as it's not so much a liability.
Crap piece in the Star today kind of hinting of Gardiner as not fitting into Carlyle plans, calling him nice "trade bait." Where do they get this stuff? Leafs have the luxury of letting a guy develop and all of a sudden this stuff appears. A little time in the minors doesn't appear to have been a bad thing for Kadri's maturity. Though there were some defensive question marks around him for a while, Carlyle seems prepared to let him improve on the job on that end, recognizing his considerable offensive gifts. I've got to believe it will be the same for Gardiner. His time will come again, I suspect sooner rather than later. Eakins is no dummy and he believes Gardiner's ready. If Carlyle is against mobile puck moving defencemen, why were Gardiner, Schultz and Fowler all drafted while he was there. Stupid theory to begin with...
J
Jalili
Guest
slapshot said:
There's a few reasons why it makes sense.
Leaving him in the AHL that is.
Eakins is a good coach, Gardiner is a great talent but also a raw one, and he suffered a pretty bad concussion too from the sound of it... so it's better to let him regain himself in a slower-paced league than to rush him back to the NHL.
Kin
New member
Significantly Insignificant said:
Well if that's the argument then ok(although I think that if a guy is physically slower months after a concussion it's pretty worrying for other reasons) but don't try to sell the developmental benefits of an NHL ready defenseman playing in the AHL.
Significantly Insignificant said:
I don't buy that idea. Forget that he had his greatest coaching success with Scott Niedermayer as his #1 defenseman but the sort of defenseman we're talking about Carlyle disliking is the sort of defenseman that Carlyle himself was(a little more physical maybe but still).