Explains why he is still unsigned. NHL teams don't want an elite defender.
- MJL

Pretty sure he’s unsigned because of injury concerns, not on ice play.

Former employee at Amalie Arena. Had the pleasure of watching Hedman for 6+ years in person, sober, every Lightning home game.

Can confirm this poster is wrong.

Hedman is possibly the best defenseman in the league depending on where you slot Erik Karlsson. The dude does it all. Tanner lost his damn mind calling him overrated. Morgan Reilly is good but he’s not Hedman good. Eventually the Leafs jerkoff sessions gotta stop. I understand being a homer, but when it gets to the point of ridiculousness, it’s time to shut ‘er down.
- j.boyd919

Cant agree more. Is hedman perfect? no i dont believe so, he could have a bit more grit but truth be told those battles in the corner he plays the puck and not the man, and for the most part he gets the puck... I have no idea what tanner is talking about, most of the time its just click bait nonsense and plays the leafs card as often as he can so its par for the course really.

Explains why he is still unsigned. NHL teams don't want an elite defender.
- MJL

leafs is stoopid for not signing him.

gardiner/barrie/rielly/muzzin is 3 of teh 2 top parings in the nhl.

~tanner, probably

Pretty sure he’s unsigned because of injury concerns, not on ice play.
- j.boyd919

I'm sure there are a number of reasons why but is his career in jeopardy?

Explains why he is still unsigned. NHL teams don't want an elite defender.
- MJL

Particularly one that is also elite offensively. Players like that are a dime a dozen.

I'm sure there are a number of reasons why but is his career in jeopardy?
- MJL

There's something very odd going on (and no, I don't have a clue or roomer).

It's one thing for a guy to be unsigned this long (even coming off an injury), but there hasn't even been a peep in the media, from Gardiner or from the roomer mills.

The only thing I've heard (take it with a huge grain of salt) is that he was holding off on signing a contract, in the weird hope that somehow the Leafs could re-sign him.

Looking at their roster on Cap Friendly, I can't imagine how that could ever be possible, unless they trade Ceci, and I don't see that happening.

Jake Gardiner is elite defensively. His defense is better than his offense. This is not a hot take among anyone remotely interested in hockey analytics, it's an accepted fact.
- James_Tanner

You don't actually watch him scramble and pass to the other team every time he gets remotely pressured while carrying the puck in his own end, do you? I know you like to rile people up, but it's coming across like you don't actually watch hockey. It's as though you hate the sport and do this in order to provoke and punish its fan base.

Jake Gardiner is elite defensively. His defense is better than his offense. This is not a hot take among anyone remotely interested in hockey analytics, it's an accepted fact.
- James_Tanner

The Bruins think he's great come playoff time

Can Tanner get banned from participating in these discussions moving forward? Hedman is a top 5 defensemen in virtually everyone’s rankings, likely a top 3. Reilly is not in the top 10 in my perspective. You are such a homer. A good writer writes without bias. You try too hard to get ‘hits’. Take perspective next time and take off your Maple Leaf pajamas before you try to pass off your opinion next time.

ceci-harpur

There's something very odd going on (and no, I don't have a clue or roomer).

It's one thing for a guy to be unsigned this long (even coming off an injury), but there hasn't even been a peep in the media, from Gardiner or from the roomer mills.

The only thing I've heard (take it with a huge grain of salt) is that he was holding off on signing a contract, in the weird hope that somehow the Leafs could re-sign him.

Looking at their roster on Cap Friendly, I can't imagine how that could ever be possible, unless they trade Ceci, and I don't see that happening.
- Atomic Wedgie

No doubt it's something along those lines. While I think calling Gardiner elite is laughable, he is a solid NHL defenseman. He's either holding out for one team, or pricing himself out, etc. My point is really that if he was truly elite, teams would've been breaking down the door to sign him. Doesn't appear to be the case.

Apparently though Mr. Tanner doesn't see what teams think he is worth as an effective measure of a player.
30 NHL GM's either can't access the internet or don't know how to interpret the analytics spreadsheets or HERO charts that Tanner uses.

Worthless commentary by two overrated bloggers.

No doubt it's something along those lines. While I think calling Gardiner elite is laughable, he is a solid NHL defenseman. He's either holding out for one team, or pricing himself out, etc. My point is really that if he was truly elite, teams would've been breaking down the door to sign him. Doesn't appear to be the case.

Apparently though Mr. Tanner doesn't see what teams think he is worth as an effective measure of a player.
30 NHL GM's either can't access the internet or don't know how to interpret the analytics spreadsheets or HERO charts that Tanner uses.
- MJL

So why didn't the 31st GM sign him?

Worthless commentary by two overrated bloggers.
- Slip and slap

dude harsh

if you wanna be critical it's nice to be clever about it

edit: I was just critical and I wasn't clever about it

Worthless commentary by two overrated bloggers.
- Slip and slap

You show Todd some god damn respect.

I'm sure there are a number of reasons why but is his career in jeopardy?
- MJL

He had issues with his back last season and had surgery in the table but I don’t believe he actually had the surgery. Rumors were thats why teams are skeptical to offer him term with the back injuries.

So why didn't the 31st GM sign him?


- Atomic Wedgie

I'm assuming one GM is going to sign him.

Wow, just when you think Tanner cant possibly pick the leafs which is one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. He does. Then he throws Hedman who is better then Reilly in every single part of the game under the bus.

Hedman and Cernak are the best pairing and it isnt even close. Also reilly and Barrie would be worst pairing in atlantic. Barrie is the right hand version of gardnier and leaf fans hated him. Cant wait to see leaf fans throw barrie under the bus.

Tanner chose a defense pair that doesnt even exist

What a farce

This might actually be the worst Hotstove ever.
Congratulations.

Jake Gardiner is an elite NHL defenseman and anyone who says differently has to completely ignore the last three years where, at 5v5, he had a top ten impact among all defenseman.

I guess you could twist yourself into knots trying to explain away literally every single way in which we have to measure a hockey player's performance, or just accept the truth.
- James_Tanner

How about just one? He's a turnover machine. In the past three years Gardiner has 237 giveaways; everyone's favorite whipping boy, worst defenseman to ever lace'em up, Ristolainen, has 150. Gardiner has 4928 total minutes while Ristolainen has 5947, for you /60 fans. I guess, technically, that's two.

Don't get me wrong, he's a good defenseman, but he is not elite. Plus his back is allegedly a stiff breeze away from snapping in two. That may explain the fact he's not yet signed.

Or not...44th in defence points per game over the past 3 seasons. Average offense, putrid defence. But don't worry,
says he's elite
- BestRapperAlive

Counting stats are for plebs.

Jake Gardiner is an elite NHL defenseman and anyone who says differently has to completely ignore the last three years where, at 5v5, he had a top ten impact among all defenseman.

I guess you could twist yourself into knots trying to explain away literally every single way in which we have to measure a hockey player's performance, or just accept the truth.
- James_Tanner

Could dollar amount of future contract be one single way in which we measure a hockey player's performance?

I think Tanner is now officially worse than Richard Cloutier was..........Never thought that would be possible.

I think Tanner is now officially worse than Richard Cloutier was..........Never thought that would be possible.
- sensarmy_11

Do you think when he finally gets fired he'll do a Cloutier-type final blog "lols, it was all an act"