However unlikely it may be, Montreal seems like a good fit, roster-wise.

It's free agency, somebody will be willing to overpay him

Oh god, let it not be the Habs.

For their sake, I hope not

If you paid Gardiner 7m a year, he might seem like a bargain compared to that LHD signing of 4.625m Alzner. But agree with you....stay away from Jake.

God gards is one of the most underrated dmen in the league. If his back issue looks like it won't be a problem, anyone with a brain would be all over it. If it does stick around, maybe dont go 7-8 years.

Yeah, idk what went wrong with Karl. I thought he was a decent defensive defenseman, it makes no sense to me what happened to him. As for Gardiner, I don't actually think either side would want him to sign (imagine the hate he would get if he signed with the Habs lol), but I have no idea who signs him

He has his defensive flaws but all in all, hes still legit Top 25 LHD in the League. Pair him with quality shutdown RHD to cover his back and he will end the season with another 50+ points.

Im betting on VAN after they ditched Gudbranson at TDL and with their current situation where D needs complete overhaul in this offseason, 5 x 6M

Gardiner will get somewhere around 5/6m in FA. Yes he has hisvissurs but certainly has his upsides too.

If Jake becomes a Hab he will score 50 plus points just to spite the Leafs and myself.

You mentioned Alzner. In the playoffs 2017, the Leafs played Washington and Alzner was going to be a UFA in a few months. I watched him closely and thought, this he had lost mobility. He was OK in a series that was intense but there was lots of rest between games. I just thought he had poor skating especially turning abilities. And when those skills go in a player they go quickly.

Gardiner: I have used the following comparison to Gardiner: In the original Star Trek series, Captain Kirk goes into the transporter and is divided into two people....The "good" Kirk and the "bad" Kirk. To me that's Gardiner. He'll have 65 games a year of the good or even very good Gardiner, and then he'll have the 17 games of the bad Gardiner. Maddening. At age 28 it's not getting better.

I'm not trying to compare the two at all, they're completely different players. It's just that the last time they invested a ton of money into a defenseman, it bit them in the butt. It's a crude comparison, but just something I remembered, idk

6x6 from the Habs hopefully.

[qquote=ForsbergForVezina;825794]Yeah, idk what went wrong with Karl. I thought he was a decent defensive defenseman, it makes no sense to me what happened to him. As for Gardiner, I don't actually think either side would want him to sign (imagine the hate he would get if he signed with the Habs lol), but I have no idea who signs him[/quote]

NHL got fast around him. He just isn't fast and quick enough for the NHL these days. I believe he could last in the west simply because it's the slower conference. No team is going to take a chance on him though
S

Well, he would make a good partner for Shea Weber. Has power play experience, great passer. Shea Weber is physical and reliable enough so that he doesn't make too many mistakes. But still, if it doesn't work out, Petry and him would be a nightmare of bad turnovers. So, I don't know if they will take a chance on him. The Habs are more conscious about free agency than they were in the past (Karl Alzner), and Marc Bergevin realised that this contract was a mistake. Plus, I think they should be patient. Romanov will be a really good defensman.

Kulak is playing like a 2nd pairing defenseman too. He's underrated, only because the trade ( Valiev-Taormina vs Kulak ) seems like an AHL one. But Kulak skate well, physical & bring offense. I think Mete-Kulak will be both on the top 4 LHD next year