Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner will most likely miss the entirety of the 2021-2022 campaign due to upcoming hip and back surgeries. The 31-year-old played just 26 regular-season games for the Canes last season - posting eight assists, a minus-one rating and 23 shots on goal while averaging 16:03 of time-on-ice. Signed to a four-year, $16.2 million contract ($4.05 average annual value) in September of 2019, Gardiner will likely spend the entire year on long-term injured reserve. The offensive blueliner has collected 277 points (49 goals, 228 assists) in 645 NHL games with Toronto and Carolina
Jake Gardiner Expected To Return For Carolina On Sunday
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner will make his way back into his team's lineup versus the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The 30-year-old is back to full health after missing the previous five games due to an upper-body injury. Gardiner (1% owned in Yahoo! leagues) isn't exactly lighting it up this season offensively (seven assists in 16 games) but could bring some appeal to fantasy owners looking for an extra game to close out weekly matchups. He'll likely jump back in on the team's bottom defensive pair alongside blueliner Brady Skjei.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner will return to the lineup for Wednesday's road game at Tampa. He's been a healthy scratch for the past two games which were also against the Lightning. Gardiner has seven points -- all assists -- in 15 games this season with 15 shots and a plus-four rating. He's set to replace Haydn Fleury as Jake Bean's partner on the third pairing. Gardiner has averaged a point per game across his last four outings, so he has some appeal in deep fantasy leagues and as an under-the-radar DFS pick.