Ottawa Senators should target Jake Gardiner in free agency

The Ottawa Senators will be dipping into the free agency market this summer and defenceman Jake Gardiner should be fairly high up on their list.

Jake Gardiner is entering free agency after eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators should seriously consider making him a target.

The Senators need to upgrade along the blueline and appear to be seeking a defensive-minded person to take the reins as the team’s new head coach.

With that in mind, the defence is likely to be the area the Senators attempt to bolster through free agency the most – entering the first full year of their rebuild.

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While Gardiner has spent the past eight years donning the hated blue of the Sens’ bitter rivals in Southern Ontario, he could be a worthwhile addition for a number of reasons.

Turning 29 this summer, Gardiner has played 551 regular season games in the NHL and brings with him a tonne of experience that would benefit the Sens’ budding young defensive core.

Throughout his eight seasons in the league, Gardiner has never averaged below 20 minutes of ice time – with the Minnesota native playing an important role on the second pairing for the Leafs.

He has provided some valuable offensive production over the years, earning over 30 points in five seasons while reaching 43 and 52 in 2016/17 and 2017/18 respectively.

He shares his ice time fairly evenly, seeing around 50.5% of his starts coming in the offensive zone – with the left-hander having a Corsi rating of 51% across his career, 52.2% this past season.

Gardiner is looking for his last big payday in the NHL this summer, with many rumours and reports suggesting he could command around $6 million a season – a figure that may suit the Senators perfectly fine, in the short term.

The Sens need to spend this summer to help fit comfortably above the cap floor and adding a veteran contract around this price should be expected.

Gardiner would immediately fit in on the second pairing for the Senators and would provide solid stats and performances while the team looks to rebuild.

While much-maligned by Leafs fans for a couple of poor showings in the playoffs, Gardiner’s value to the team was there for all to see this past season.

With Gardiner having some health issues, limiting him to 62 games, the Leafs struggled defensively and looked far less assured than when he was in their line-up.

Even during the playoffs, Toronto played him in a significantly reduced role and it affected them greatly, seeing them lose a seven-game series to the Boston Bruins once again.

His health issues this season might be a concern for teams across the league, which could lower the market available to him – potentially benefiting a team such as the Senators if they decided to make an approach.

Taking Gardiner away from the Leafs would also be a satisfying moment for fans of the Ottawa Senators, seeing them lose a crucial piece to a largely shaky blueline group with their Ontario rivals unable to afford him.

The Ottawa Senators are likely to have a number of new additions to their roster this summer and adding a veteran blueliner such as Gardiner could be well worth investigating.

What do you think Sens fans? Would you be interested in seeing the team steal Gardiner away from the Leafs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!