Leafs Lock Down Gardiner

On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the biggest signing of the day, locking up restricted free agent defenseman Jake Gardiner, signing him to a 5-year deal, worth $20.25 million.

Gardiner was set to go to arbitration with the club, but the two side avoided the confrontational negotiations and settled on a long-term deal, which will keep the 24-year old blueliner employed for the foreseeable future.

In the 2014 season, Gardiner finished 46th among all defensemen in scoring, scoring 10 goals and 31 points and his stock continues to rise.  There is a belief that we have yet to see the best from Gardiner, but with the crowded blueline in Toronto, there is also a belief that we may not see him reach his potential in a Maple Leafs jersey, rather he may continue to be on the trading block.

The Leafs now have six defensemen on their projected roster, coming in at almost $21 million.  It is a big chunk of change for only six players, but between their potential and some of the veteran presence on the team, an argument can be made that they have one of the better defense corps in the league.

Overall, I have the Leafs in with 19 players on their projected roster and they still have about $7.1 million left in cap space to the ceiling to slot in those last four players.