NHL Trade Rumors: Maple Leafs have 3 options with Jake Gardiner
By Simon Vacca
2. Sign him long term
I can already hear the cries of horror from certain portions of the fanbase, but the matter of whether the Leafs would be willing to give Gardiner a contract is one that must be framed and discussed in a manner that marries seriousness with foresight.
Even though we are months away from the storm of unrestricted free agency, we know that 2019’s UFA class is not particularly deep for defensemen. The top six UFA defenders, along with their 2018-19 cap hits, are as follows:
- Erik Karlsson — $6,500,000
- Jake Gardiner — $4,050,000
- Tyler Myers — $5,500,000
- Zdeno Chara — $5,000,000
- Alexander Edler — $5,000,000
- Anton Stralman — $4,500,000
Put simply, should Karlsson opt to remain in San Jose, Gardiner could become the most desired UFA defenseman in the NHL. Due for a raise, No. 51 is in a prime position to make a hefty sum of money — somewhere near an AAV of more than $6 million — with overpayment looking like a probable prospect.
But what if Gardiner would be willing to take a discount in order to stay in Toronto? Something comparable to that of Morgan Rielly’s contract?
At the very least, the possibility of keeping Gardiner on a team-friendly deal is one that Dubas and company shall look to entertain. Discussions between the Leafs’ GM and the 28-year-old’s agent are rumored to have been nothing short of positive, and Gardiner has often expressed happiness when discussing life, and the future, in the 6ix.
Re-signing the blue liner would be a challenge for the books, especially in light of the fact that the Leafs’ main priority is to lock up Mitch Marner in the not-so-distant future. As such, expect contract talks to prevail if and only if a discount is in play.