There’s no denying the raw talent that Jake Gardiner has, however it is the frequent mistakes that make him the scapegoat for almost every Maple Leafs loss, but is he a fair target? Let’s take a look. Jake Gardiner was a first round pick (17th overall) in 2008 by the Ducks, which was only 2 picks after current superstar Erik Karlsson.
Gardiner has some pretty important analytic numbers in his favour as well. This season in 21:15 average time on ice per game Gardiners’ CF% is an incredibly respectable 56.9%, in CF% in a close game(1 goal or tied) is 54.