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NHL Rumors: 5 best fits for Jake Gardiner in NHL free agency

By Simon Vacca

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 20: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner #51 returns to the locker room at an NHL game against the Florida Panthers at the Scotiabank Arena on December 20, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 20: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner #51 returns to the locker room at an NHL game against the Florida Panthers at the Scotiabank Arena on December 20, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 3: Nino Niederreiter #22 of the Minnesota Wild skates against Jake Gardiner #51 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the Next Generation NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 3, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Wild defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 3: Nino Niederreiter #22 of the Minnesota Wild skates against Jake Gardiner #51 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the Next Generation NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 3, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Wild defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

4. Minnesota Wild

Current defensive core: Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Greg Pateryn, Nick Seeler, Brad Hunt

Why a move makes sense: The only circumstance wherein a reasonable argument can be made for landing a player like Gardiner is if the Wild opt to move on from one of its core blue liners — the most noteworthy example of which being Jared Spurgeon. The 29-year-old is set to enter into his final year of an expiring contract, rendering the prospect of a move all the more probable.

The roots make sense — Gardiner, a hometown boy from Minneapolis, Minnesota, would likely welcome a signing of this nature on any and all fronts — but the substance of it all is still debatable at best. In the eyes of many, the Wild appear to show few signs of a concrete, detail-oriented plan, and the organization still has to grapple with a whopping six years of paying the likes of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Adding Gardiner would not come at a light cost, so consider speculation of this variety with a grain of salt.

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