L K said:I can throw my hat in the ring on this one. There actually can be some benefit to playing with the slower element of the AHL for Gardiner to get his timing back in shape, but if he is truly suffering from persistent cognitive impairments, it really doesn't matter whether he is playing in the NHL or AHL, it won't change anything.
Which is why the signs that he is becoming the player he was are encouraging. Still needs to be seen if he can play at the same level in the NHL that he did last year. I know everyone is excited about Gardiner. I worry though that he is going to be closer to Brett Hedican than he is Brian Leetch. Not that there is anything wrong with the way Brett Hedican played the game, just that the Leafs really need a Brian Leetch type of player.
L K said:The only reasonable argument would be that the Leafs feel he is exposed too much and would be a liability on the ice. I think that argument is pretty much laughable given that Kostka is playing regular minutes and Holzer has been found to be incompetent in more than a handful of games.
I think that is what is opening the door up for questions. They were protected when they first sent him down because of the injury and they could use that as an excuse. Now that he appears to have gotten his game back, why is he still down there? What possible reason could you have for keeping a guy that was seen as having a pretty bright future on your farm club?
L K said:I do have to disagree that there isn't a distinction between physical reaction and mental reaction though. The difference would be that his physical capabilities are there and that at times he would be showing his ability to rush the puck up the ice. He would have points in the game where he could blow past defenders with his speed and dipsy-doodle the puck into the offensive zone. If he is mentally slow, he wouldnt' be able to make those plays because his mind would be preventing him from anticipating where the opposition will play against him.
I didn't actually get to see him play in the two games. I just got to read the follow ups. What I read said that he looked like he was half a step behind. Was that true?