Jake Gardiner is expected to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st for the first time in his career. After posting a career-high 52 points last season, the 28-year-old is on pace to regress and post his lowest points total since 2015-16.
Gardiner’s 40 point projection is nothing to scoff at and he will still command a hefty price tag at year’s end. However, it is nearly a foregone conclusion that a team will have to overpay or overcommit, even both, in order to land the second best defenceman on the open market.
This year’s free agency crop is not especially intriguing for rearguards.