Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Gardiner makes them Stanley Cup contenders

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 25: Jake Gardiner #51 of the Toronto Maple Leafs battles for the puck with Joakim Nordstrom #42 of the Carolina Hurricanes during NHL game action February 25, 2016 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 25: Jake Gardiner #51 of the Toronto Maple Leafs battles for the puck with Joakim Nordstrom #42 of the Carolina Hurricanes during NHL game action February 25, 2016 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

With the addition of Jake Gardiner, the Carolina Hurricanes are officially Stanley Cup contenders.

After making it to the Eastern Conference Final, the Carolina Hurricanes were already firmly in the mix among Stanley Cup contenders going into the 2019-20 season. Now that they have signed defenseman Jake Gardiner to a four-year deal worth $4.05 million annually, the Canes are unquestionably contenders.

Though the Hurricanes already had a very good team, Gardiner solves one of their very few question marks. The Calvin de Haan trade, combined with Trevor van Riemsdyk‘s injury, left the left side of their blueline a tad bit shallow. One of unproven rookie Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury were probably going to have to be on the second pairing.

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Gardiner fits right in on the Hurricanes second pairing. This gives Carolina five top-four calibre defensemen and potentially a sixth in Bean. It also makes the Hurricanes downright scary, if they weren’t already.

Impact

Signing Gardiner impacts the Hurricanes in various ways. Obviously, it makes them better. Gardiner is one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL. The Hurricanes lacked a top-notch offensive talent like him on the left side. Now they have one.

Of the 204 defensemen to play at least 1,500 minutes since the start of the 2016-17 season, Gardiner ranks 19th in five-on-five points per hour (1.09). They now have two of the top 20 in this category, as they also have Dougie Hamilton, who ranks fifth.

The only other teams with two in the top 20 are the San Jose Sharks (Burns and Karlsson), Nashville Predators (Josi and Ellis), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (Sergachev and Hedman).

Gardiner also makes the Hurricanes pairings a bit more certain. Slavin and Brett Pesce have had a lot of success together, but this pretty much ensures they’re going to be broken up. Hamilton will likely get top-pairing minutes. Slavin and Hamilton were very effective together last season.

Gardiner will likely lead the second pairing with Pesce on his right. Hamilton is a great defenseman, but he and Gardiner are quite similar. They do their best work with the puck on their stick. Having both on the same pairing could be conflicting.

For years, Gardiner has had some sub-optimal defensive partners with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are his three most common right-handed partners since the start of the 2016-17 season.

Those days are over. Pesce is excellent defensively but needs someone to carry the load on offense. Gardiner can do that. Pesce is as steady as they come defensively and is more than capable of handling his own. This should allow Gardiner to focus on what he does best.

It also makes their third pairing better. Justin Faulk is a viable top-four option if needed. He should flourish while facing lesser competition, which could increase both his trade value and the money involved in his next contract. Bean and Fleury should compete for the open spot on the third pairing. And don’t forget about Trevor van Riemsdyk, who’s recovering from an injury.

Risk

Of course, every signing comes with some risk. And there was a reason why Gardiner, who entered the offseason as one of the best defensemen available, was still available. His back issues from last season scared teams away. It’s not a lock Gardiner avoids these issues. They could hamper him. But if Gardiner is healthy, he’s a steal at just over $4 million a year.

The Hurricanes have one fewer question mark with him. This could mean more moves are coming. Specifically, a Faulk trade could be in the future. However, the Hurricanes have proven they aren’t just going to give him away. It’s far more plausible after signing Gardiner, though.

Goaltending will ultimately decide how far the Hurricanes go this season. But signing Gardiner makes their path to the postseason and to the Stanley Cup easier. If Carolina gets league average goaltending, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be among the top teams in the NHL.

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