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.
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.