Jake Gardiner had just finishing skating by himself on Friday, going through drills with a skills coach, when he made a brief appearance at Maple Leafs practice. Playoff history notwithstanding, the Maple Leafs are eagerly anticipating the imminent return of defenceman Jake Gardiner from a back injury, likely Thursday against the Lightning. Maybe they’ll even make him cheap enough that the cap-crunched Maple Leafs will be able to afford him come July 1. Article Continued BelowIt’s much easier to argue that Gardiner’s month-plus away from the Maple Leafs has only served to illustrate his value. It says a lot about Gardiner’s impending value when you see how badly the Maple Leafs want him back.

Source: thestar March 30, 2019 00:09 UTC