So, he has had some ups and downs, and this season for Jake Gardiner and as someone who will die on the hill of analytics, I cannot explain why it wasn’t better, but here we are. So, how has Jake Gardiner done in his first season in Raleigh?
There is no simple way of saying this, so let’s dive in. Gardiner, offensively at least, has been as good as anyone on the blueline. I don’t think that anyone will argue with that. In his last 2 games with the team, he has 5 points.
However, there’s also been a lot of criticism towards him for a lack of production, and although I understand it, at some point the numbers suggest his stick maybe the snake that keeps biting him.