Jake Gardiner is a gifted puck moving defender that was in line for a breakout season on the ice but he struggled much like his teammates.
Unlike previous years, Gardiner’s name wasn’t the center of attention in trade rumors around the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was able to fly under the radar as a player Toronto wasn’t focused on dealing.
Expectations continue to be high for the 24 year old defender and that’s not going to change any time soon.
Let’s go through the intangibles, statistics and future.