Leafs have timing of Gardiner assignment backwards—and renewed Luongo talk

It’s not necessarily shocking that Jake Gardiner is now playing with the Marlies, however temporarily.  The more peculiar decision, from my perspective, was why the Leafs didn’t give the young defenseman an opportunity to spend some time with the Marlies after coming off a lengthy concussion-related absence, rather than having him jump into the Leaf line-up.

Gardiner was quite possibly the “surprise of the year” for the Leafs a season ago.  (I realize an argument could be made for Lupul, who many of us likely assumed was almost taken as a salary dump from the Ducks in the Beauchemin deal.)  I sure didn’t expect the American-born D-man to make the team and play as he did as a first-year NHL’er, after spending virtually no time with the Marlies the season before at the tail end of his U.S. collegiate career.

I would have thought it would make sense to allow Gardiner to get his timing and feel for the game back by re-joining Dallas Eakins and the Marlies—the squad he had played with (through the lockout) all of this 2012-’13 season, while pretty much standing that league on its ear.  That he was put on a plane and started his NHL season this past Wednesday in Pittsburgh was as perplexing as Carlyle starting James Reimer in the same game.  The Reimer thing (two weak goals aside) worked out, because the Leafs scored more than two goals.  (If we had lost 2-1 after the bad goals given up by Reimer, fans would not have been so forgiving, though I liked Reimer’s overall game against the Pens. I had figured Reimer to get his first start in a “winnable” game at home against the Islanders.)  I thought Gardiner would start with the Marlies, or, if necessary, ease him in against the Islanders, at home.

In any event, he is back with the Marlies, where he should have been in the first place.  The only other observation I have is this:  I hope the Leafs have communicated this all clearly with the young defender.  These things don’t seem to trouble the ever-calm Gardiner, but I want to believe that this has been positioned to him as strictly getting his legs back.  If it’s Carlyle being ticked that Gardiner is not playing the way Carlyle wants him to, then there are bigger challenges ahead. 

I mentioned here in my last post that Gardiner was skating past the play too much for my liking against the Islanders.  He has great wheels, as we all know, but even he can’t just skate in circles, as fast as he is.  Whether his semi-lackadaisical approach prompted the demotion (now it’s a demotion; before, it would just have been an injury rehab assignment) in Carlyle’s eyes, again, we may never hear the real story.

Never dull here in Leafville, eh?

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While no one was exactly waxing poetic about the Leaf goaltending through the first three games of the season, the team had only given up 5 goals in those contests, and while Scrivens and Reimer were not perfect, they fought through and made some key stops to help the team win a couple of those games.

Game 4 started off quite well, with Scrivens making some big stops early on, but he struggled later—with lots of his teammates part of the overall team letdown. (I’m guessing Reimer will start Saturday night in New York, but at the same time, Carlyle has been unpredictable, so who knows?)

But if (and maybe this “if” won’t come to pass) the Leaf goaltending does not measure up as the season moves along, you can’t help but wonder if a much-anticipated trade will finally be in the offing.  Those who know my thinking here at VLM recognize that I don't typically worry a lot until about the 10 or 15 game mark of a new season.  But the compacted schedule does create a bit different dynamic this year.  It’s not that I have high expectations for the Leafs.  Nonis made it quite clear at his mini-presser just before the opening game that this is a patient rebuild process, so we shouldn’t expect a lot.

In truth, if the Leafs really felt they were contenders, there is no way they would go with an unproven (at the NHL level) Scrivens and a guy who is coming off a serious injury (Reimer).  They just wouldn’t.   Goaltending is too important to go with guys who have not shown an ability to deliver consistently at this level.

But here’s my question for you today—and yes, it has to do with Roberto Luongo.  I’ve covered my feelings on the subject at length here, and won’t make you endure those views again (click here if you want to read more on that).  Some people would dearly like to see the veteran netminder in blue and white and feel the long-term cap hit is really not that cumbersome in light of the new CBA.  Others are less in love with the Luongo idea.

So here’s your task—check one of the following boxes on this question and give me your honest-to-goodness opinion, straight from the heart:

1. You want Luongo, but only if the cost is middlish draft picks (3^rd or 4^th round, say) and an expendable (older) defenseman or forward.
2. You want Luongo and are prepared at this point to give up a serious draft choice (a first-rounder) or a young Leaf player with legitimate high-end potential (Gardiner, Kadri, someone along those lines…).
3. You’d only take Luongo if we dumped bad salary going back the other way.
4. You’re just not interested in Luongo, no matter what.

Vancouver GM Mike Gillis will make a move at some point.  Does he have to?  Maybe not in the next week or so, but the issue is a distraction in Vancouver, and they will want to get this off their plate sooner rather than later.  It’s possible, as I’ve said here before, that Gillis could hold on to Luongo until the deadline, and wait for teams in contention who want an upgrade in goal—or more desperately, a team that needs to replace an injured number-one guy.  Then suddenly, Gillis might get closer to what he wants.

But for now, as a Leaf enthusiast, where do you stand?

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For those following the "Leaf Matters" podcast, the latest episode is now up on iTunes and on the Podalmighty Nework.  Look for Episode 27.