Toronto Maple Leafs: Jake Gardiner Player Profile

This could be the last year we see Jake Gardiner in a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater.

With his contract expiring next summer Gardiner will be looking to impress not just the Toronto Maple Leafs but the rest of the NHL. At 28, this could be the last time Gardiner has the chance to earn a deal on par with Dion Phaneuf ($7 million) or Ryan Suter ($7,538,462). If Gardiner were to hit 50 points for the second straight season, he could easily get a contract like that.

While Gardiner has shown he can be a solid first pairing left defenseman, this year he is going to be playing harder than ever to get the Leafs to pay him what he’s worth, or get the attention of the numerous teams around the league who are in need of defense.

While Gardiner has had some bumps in the road when it comes to his play, he has still cemented his place in the Leafs’ defensive core, and he has worked hard over a number of years for the contract he will get next offseason.

Player Profile: Jake Gardiner

Gardiner began his rise to the NHL at Minnetonka High School. In three seasons, Gardiner played 64 games (24 of them with the C on his sweater) tallying 32 goals and 66 assists. His play was some of the best in the state, being named Team Southwest among defensemen twice.

2008 NHL Entry Draft + University of Wisconsin Badgers, 2008-2011

Straight out of high school, the Anaheim Ducks selected Gardiner with the 17th pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Choosing the college route before joining the pros, Gardiner attended the University of Wisconsin in the WCHA. In Gardiner’s first season he saw action in 39 games, contributing 21 points in a season where the Badgers finished 20-16-4.

His second season saw a drop in performance, playing in 41 games but only putting up 13 points. His play was not a detriment on the team however, as the Badgers went 28-11-4 and made it all the way to the 2010 Frozen Four, losing in the final to the Boston College Eagles.

In his final year at Wisconsin, Gardiner was named an alternate captain and played 41 games, scoring his collegiate career high of 41 points while the Badgers finished 21-16-3, good for 7th in the WCHA.

Gardiner was named to the United States U-20 team for the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships. He played in 7 games and added 3 assists on a United States team that won the gold medal in a 6-5 overtime win against Canada.

Anaheim To Toronto

On February 9th, 2011, the Ducks traded Jake Gardiner, Joffrey Lupul and a 2013 4th round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Francois Beauchemin.

Toronto Marlies, 2011-2013

Most of Gardiner’s time with the Maple Leafs organization has been on Leafs, but he has spent time with the Toronto Marlies. He played in 57 regular season games during his stints with the Marlies, scoring 36 points in the process.

Gardiner also started in 17 playoff games in the AHL during the 2011-2012 season. His 11 points placed him second among defensemen during the playoffs, and helped the Marlies make it to the Calder Cup Final, only to be swept by the Norfolk Admirals.

Toronto Maple Leafs, 2011-2012

The Leafs called up Gardiner and he seemed up to the task immediately. Playing in 75 games, Gardiner’s rookie season saw him produce a 30 point season along with 90 blocked shots and 21:35 minutes of icetime and a relative Corsi of 0.4%. He placed 6th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

2012-2013

During the 48 game lockout shortened season. Gardiner dressed for 12 games and had 4 assists.

He did find playing time during the playoffs, playing in 6 games and scoring 5 points as the Leafs were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in 7 games.

2013-2014

In another disappointing season for the Leafs, Gardiner was a bright spot. He put up a 31 point campaign while blocking 87 shots and dishing out 108 hits. His relative Corsi jumped to 4.7% and still averaged over 21 minutes on the ice.

In the summer, the Leafs signed Gardiner to a 5-year, $20.25 million contract, which carried an annual cap hit of $4,050,000

2014-2015

Gardiner’s third full season with the Leafs was a step down for him, although that may be an issue caused by the team itself, as the Leafs went 30-44-8. He had 24 points over 79 games, but his relative Corsi continued to rise to 5.9%. His icetime remained high with 20:58 minutes and he continued to be a physical presence with 109 hits and 83 blocked shots.

2015-2016

In one of the worst 82 game seasons in franchise history (29-42-11), Gardiner continued to be a stable presence at the blue line. Still managing a 31 point season and 20:37 minutes a night. His hits (87) and blocked shots (67) both dropped, but he remained one of the strongest Leafs possession wise with a 4.6% relative Corsi.

2016-2017

Gardiner played all 82 games in a season for the first time in his career as the Leafs bounced back and made the playoffs. Gardiner’s play helped as he recorded the first 40+ point season of his career. 41 points with 13 from the PP, and his relative Corsi remained strong at 3.6%.

One note during the season was Gardiner’s hits. His 69 hits were the lowest he’d recorded since the 13 hits in the lockout shortened year. His blocked shots rose (83) but it was apparent Mike Babcock wanted Gardiner to be a more offensively minded defenseman rather than dishing out hits.

More from Editor In Leaf

Gardiner played all 6 games against the Washington Capitals during the 2017 NHL Playoffs. He had 1 goal and two assists as the Leafs and averaged a whopping 28:38 minutes of icetime.

2017-2018

Last year Gardiner had his first 50+ point season (52) in a year that saw the Leafs earn their most points in the standings in franchise history (105). He reached 103 blocked shots and has 22:32 on the ice a night. But Gardiner’s relative Corsi fell to 0.9%, and he turned the puck over 105 times, 3rd most among defensemen last season.

In the Leafs’ 7 game series against the Bruins, Gardiner dressed for all 7 meetings, adding 2 assists and 22:39 minutes on the ice.

2018-2019?

A lot of eyes will be on Jake Gardiner in his contract year for the Leafs. His time with the team may be longer than some have realized, but his stats during that time show that he is a top pairing defenseman in this league. As for this year, there is an idea to have Gardiner and Morgan Rielly play on the top pair, although having two left-handed d-men could lead to issues. Another option is putting him on the second pair with someone like Nikita Zaitsev. Another idea that may get floated around is the Leafs potentially trading Gardiner at the deadline. But with the Leafs already in an odd place defensively, that probably won’t happen.

Next. 3 Big Questions as Camp Approaches. dark

Whether the Toronto Maple Leafs extend Gardiner will depend on the Leafs’ cap situation after signing William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Auston Matthews. If they have the space, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Leafs sent an offer Gardiner’s way to keep him at the blue line for an extended period of time.

Salary information courtesy of capfriendly.com

Statistics courtesy of hockeyreference.com, eliteprospects.com

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