Former Marple Leaf defender Jake Gardiner: Where is he now? – Hockey Writer – Maple Leaf History
Jake Gardiner is one of the most polarized defenders in recent Toronto Maple Leafs history. On the one hand, many Maple Leaf fans saw his great talent and appreciated his offensive acumen. Gardiner, on the other hand, made many obvious mistakes that drove Maple Leaf fans crazy.
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When Gardiner’s contract expired at the end of the 2018-19 season, the Maple Leafs allowed him to enter free agents. Interestingly, he signed the exact salary ($4,050,000) with the Carolina Hurricane.
Gardner’s early hockey career
As a young man, Gardiner is a successful Minnetonka high school hockey player in the Minnesota high school team. Instead of playing junior hockey, Gardiner received a scholarship to play NCAA hockey at the University of Wisconsin. He played for the show (2008-2011) for three seasons.
With the foot, Gardiner is known as an offensive defender who shows a high hockey IQ and is able to push the puck to the ice. He is a powerful skater and has excellent passing skills. He is particularly good at quarterbacks.
Gardiner is the only freshman to play in all 42 games in Wisconsin. In his first season, he scored 10 points and was selected for the Western College Hockey Association (WCHA) Jellokee. As a sophomore, he led the defender with 27 points and was selected to the All-WCHA Second Team. He was the best scoring defensive player for the World in his junior season and was selected to the first team in the world.
After his third season at Wisconsin, Gardiner is ready to jump to the NHL.
Gardiner comes to the maple leaves with ducks
Gardiner was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2008 NHL admission draft (No. 17 in total). However, he never played a game with a California team. On February 9, 2011, he was traded to Maple Leaf (Joffrey Lupul and the 4-round draft pick in the 2013 draft, which turned out to be Fredrik Bergvik) for Francois Beauchemin.
Beauchemin played for two seasons in Toronto (from 2009 to 2011). Interestingly, he came to Maple Leaf in his deal with the Ducks in 2008 and was later traded back to them in 2011. At the end of his career, Beauchemin signed a free agent so he could end his career in 2017-18.
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During his time with the Maple Leafs, Bochemin served as the top four defensive player on the team and regularly served as part of the team’s penalty unit.
Gardner and Maple Leaf Time
Overall, Gardiner played eight seasons with the Maple Leafs. In Toronto, he showed the same offensive rise as the college hockey defender. Although many Maple Leaf fans remembered his career ending as he struggled at the end of his career, he flourished as a two-way defender when he was healthy.
After he finished his UW season in 2011, Gardiner jumped to Toronto Marlies for 10 American Hockey League (AHL) games. Next season, the Maple Leafs bring him to the roster of his 75-game big club. Despite his moves back and forth between the AHL and the NHL, Gardiner was a regular on the team’s blue line by the time the 2013-14 season arrived.
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Gardner never played 79 games in one season over the next five seasons. He became the team’s top offensive defender and was used to quarterbacks. His best season on the team was in the 2017-18 season, when he scored a career-high score in scoring (five goals and 47 assists, accounting for 52 points).
However, success will end. In the 2018-19 season, Gardner began to struggle with a back injury. These injuries eroded his ice time and affected his performance. At the end of the 2018-19 season, the Maple Leafs did not re-sign him. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gardner’s back injury persists with hurricane
When Gardiner first moved to Hurricane, his MRI was back. In his first season at Carolina, Gardiner played 68 games, recorded four goals and added 20 assists (24 points). However, his back injury reappeared. After trying to repair your back without undergoing surgery, there was no other option in the end.
In early September 2021, Hurricane announced Gardner Defender and hip surgery will be performed and will be placed in the reserve of long-term injuries. He underwent surgery; in June 2022, Gardiner obtained a medical license. It is worth noting that he is ready for the 2022-23 regular season.
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However, the news came in September 2022, and it was announced that Gardner would not attend the Hurricane Training Camp. He will start another season on a long-term injury reserve, where he continues until his contract expires.
Back injury and hockey player
Back injuries shorten the profession of many hockey players. This injury seriously affects the strength and flexibility of all hockey players who rely on their back muscles to skate, twist, shoot and participate in various physical contacts in the sport. Often, hockey players suffering from back problems can never recover from injury to recover from their form.
Sadly, this is Gardner’s story. His back problems became a long-term concern that he could not overcome.
Gardiner’s specific injury is a herniated disc. This happens when the gel-like center of the disc expands from the disc space and enters the spinal canal, where it compresses the nerves and causes pain. The injury is usually caused in one of two ways: first, a sudden traumatic event (perhaps a strong bump on the board); or second, through repeated movements such as twisting and bends.
Gardiner’s Maple Leaf tenure
Overall, Gardiner’s tenure at Maple Leafs was successful. It’s hard to say that this once fixed offensive defender is standing in the memory of Maple Leaf fans. He was a good person until his back injury. Like all defensemen, he has experienced success and failure, and he has done it in front of thousands of cheering or booing fans.
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During his time with the team, he was often booed by Maple Leaf fans for ice errors. No one knows whether these mistakes were exacerbated by his back injury. But at the end of his Maple Leaf career, he suffered a lot of defensive turnovers and his game became inconsistent.
What will his lasting legacy and maple leaves have? Will his contribution to the team be remembered positively or negatively?
At his best, Gardner is a powerful offensive defender. He played for eight seasons with the Maple Leafs and, as mentioned above, is a polarized player. Sadly, his legacy may be forever damaged by the high-profile mistakes he made, which led to the goal at a critical moment.
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