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Best fit for Jake Gardiner? |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on which Central Division team has had the worst off-season to date.
Todd Cordell
I think Montreal makes a lot of sense if Jake Gardiner is willing to play for another hockey-crazed Canadian market.
The Canadiens could use a little more offensive ability in their lineup and they're desperate for a true top-4 defender on the left side. With respect to Brett Kulak and Ben Chiarot – the former I especially like – that might be the worst 1-2 LD punch in the NHL.
Gardiner is a much better puck mover and point producer than either player, his defensive game is better than it gets credit for, and he has the mobility and efficient-style game to handle big minutes on a nightly basis. Even with the occasional head-scratching mistake, the good vastly outweighs the bad.
He would be a massive upgrade over what the Canadiens have and getting his signature would significantly boost the team's chances of getting back into the playoffs.
James Tanner
The best fit for Jake Gardiner is the Leafs. If they can somehow figure out a way to fit him in, they've got the best blue line in hockey by about six miles. A Muzzin, Gardiner, Rielly, Barrie, Dermott blue line is crazy, and considering the Leafs scoring depth would make them heavy cup favorites assuming people accepted how good Gardiner was and rated him properly.
Fat chance of that, but whatever. If the Leafs can't bring him back, it really doesn't matter because any team is going to significantly improve with Gardiner, and considering his reputation (unfair) and his back injury, odds are good you could get him on a discount.
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