Jake Gardiner

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/4493/gamelog;_ylt=Ag9h0ZuIadPIVGy8_WOTcsxivLYF

Those are the stats, so 'yes so'.

To suggest that Mike Komisarek can make more of a useful contribution to a hockey team than Jake Gardiner is laughable.

Maybe Mike has dirty pictures of you or is a great guy off the ice, either way, no thanks.

Nice job of "proving" a point I wasn't making.

Tell me, what was the last line in my previous post?  Or did you bother to read it?

What was laughable was how we got manhandled last night.  I say again, Komi would have been more use than Gardiner against a team like Philly.  Oh and by the way, the only stat that mattered from last night was the one that reads 4-3.

I hate Komi as much as the next guy but he would have been useful last night.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

He got manhandled, but Dion (on for three goals against) Phaneuf didn't?

I read your line on Gardiner and it was my point, that he is already a much more valuable player than Mike Komisarek and although he may benefit from some seasoning, as it stands, as a team, they cannot afford to replace him with Komi or even Aulie. 

He provides a pretty rare set of skills and deserves to be here.

 

[ZBBM]

He got manhandled, but Dion (on for three goals against) Phaneuf didn't?

Indeed he did, but that's irrelevant to the (limited) points I'm making. 

As to whether Gardiner could use some time with the Marlies, we'll have to disagree I guess.

By the way, since you brought up Dion: what we really need for our backend is somebody of the caliber of Borje Salming.  Komisarek, as I've argued, provides some crease-clearing grit that we are otherwise almost entirely missing, but he's no Salming.  On that Hartnell goal last night, not only would a Salming not have allowed the goal, we would have torn Hartnell's head from his shoulders, feasted upon his brains, and then flossed his teeth with his hair.

I trust you understand I am speaking metaphorically, and wish no ill to anyone in real life. 

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

As to whether Gardiner could use some time with the Marlies, we'll have to disagree I guess.

We actually do not disagree on this, what we disagree on is that we have anyone who can replace the contribution he makes to the team, you think we do, I believe otherwise, hence my reluctance to send him to the Marlies to work out some of the positional issues.

 

[Tigger]

Not so.  I don't have the stats in front of me, but IIRC he was on the ice for at least 2 of the Flyers' goals and he definitely screened Reimer on Giroux's goal.

That came off a weak checking attempt by Grabovski, the other was a weak defensive play but it was positioning and he's still thinking that part... I think the Leafs are ok taking their lumps with him at this point, he already does mostly everything better than Komi and I didn't notice him get manhandled, just positioning against the Philly forwards back pressure.

 

[Redleaf]

He got manhandled, but Dion (on for three goals against) Phaneuf didn't?

Indeed he did, but that's irrelevant to the (limited) points I'm making. 

As to whether Gardiner could use some time with the Marlies, we'll have to disagree I guess.

By the way, since you brought up Dion: what we really need for our backend is somebody of the caliber of Borje Salming.  Komisarek, as I've argued, provides some crease-clearing grit that we are otherwise almost entirely missing, but he's no Salming.  On that Hartnell goal last night, not only would a Salming not have allowed the goal, we would have torn Hartnell's head from his shoulders, feasted upon his brains, and then flossed his teeth with his hair.

I trust you understand I am speaking metaphorically, and wish no ill to anyone in real life. 

Wasn't that supposed to be Komisarek's job?

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

He sure needs that seasoning, we totally have the horses to cover.

Rookie Jake Gardiner plays 23:18 and finishes game plus-1. He must wonder what's going on when he's not out there...

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Another solid effort. 

 

[drummond]

He is evolving into something special

 

[Jalili]

I've really enjoyed watching Gardiner play this year.. It's been a real asset to the blueline having someone skate as well as he does for 20+ mins a night.

The only other defenseman I can say I like as much as Gardiner is Gunnarsson.

 

[Boston Leaf]

For me he and Kessel are the only untouchables on this team.. Hope Gardner continues down this path

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

But guys, guys, he needs more seasoning, we totally have others to cover him, he's a liability don't you know.

 

[ZBBM]

But guys, guys, he needs more seasoning, we totally have others to cover him, he's a liability don't you know.

Well, that was predictable.  :  I'm sure you'll chime in again next time he goes minus in a game.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Actually he was a minus last night and a minus in the Montreal game, fact remains though that over that time he has been one of our top three Dmen and has probably been one of the top four all year.

 

[ZBBM]

Actually he was a minus last night and a minus in the Montreal game, fact remains though that over that time he has been one of our top three Dmen and has probably been one of the top four all year.

The only disagreement we have is whether he could use more seasoning for his defense.  Nobody is arguing his skating ability or offensive potential -- who would?  I've already said that.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Actually he was a minus last night and a minus in the Montreal game, fact remains though that over that time he has been one of our top three Dmen and has probably been one of the top four all year.

The only disagreement we have is whether he could use more seasoning for his defense.  Nobody is arguing his skating ability or offensive potential -- who would?  I've already said that.

I know and I am not arguing that he doesn't need more seasoning, I'm arguing that it is laughable to suggest it when he is clearly one of our top three or four performers on D at a minimum and we absolutely don't have the horses to cover for his absence.

I'm not taking a shot at you with the posts above btw, it's just a little gentle banter, I understand what your are saying and in an ideal world I'd have him on the Marlies playing 30 minutes a night.

 

[ZBBM]

Actually he was a minus last night and a minus in the Montreal game, fact remains though that over that time he has been one of our top three Dmen and has probably been one of the top four all year.

The only disagreement we have is whether he could use more seasoning for his defense.  Nobody is arguing his skating ability or offensive potential -- who would?  I've already said that.

I know and I am not arguing that he doesn't need more seasoning, I'm arguing that it is laughable to suggest it when he is clearly one of our top three or four performers on D at a minimum and we absolutely don't have the horses to cover for his absence.

I'm not taking a shot at you with the posts above btw, it's just a little gentle banter, I understand what your are saying and in an ideal world I'd have him on the Marlies playing 30 minutes a night.

I guess I'm looking longer-term than you.  For his long-term development I think it would be very beneficial to give him time in the A to work on his defense.  Would that hurt our playoff chances this year?  Maybe, but only marginally IMO as compared with rotating Aulie, Holzer, and him into the Leafs lineup at intervals.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

See, I don't consider the gap between Jake, Keith and Korbinian to be marginal, both of those other guys are nowhere near as valuable as he is and bring different skillsets.

If we want to ice our best team with an eye to making the playoffs (yes this may be short sighted) then he pretty much has to play at this stage.

 

[slapshot]

Damien Cox wrote this ridiculous piece (with a worse headline by the editor) in today's star. He must be drinking from the wrong side of the kool-air jar again. If the Leafs were to include Gardiner in some sort of package for Rick Nash, there would have to be some kind of mutiny in Leaf Nation. I can't believe for one minute, from everything I've seen of Burkie, that he has lost his marbles altogether.
Everyone and their dog recognizes the potential in this kid and he is only getting better as the season progresses. He could be down right scary in a couple of years.
No disrepect for Nash, but give the ages, the contracts and the importance of the positions, I wouldn't make the deal straight - I'm not kidding.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1133576--cox-talented-toronto-maple-leafs-rookie-jake-gardiner-may-have-to-go

 

[TML fan]

I've never actually seen Holzer play. I'm quite curious. Might have to catch a Marlies game soon.