Jake Gardiner was the easy scapegoat.

In back-to-back first-round Game 7 losses to the Boston Bruins, the heavily scrutinized Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman didn't bring his best stuff. Could he have played better? Absolutely. Was he the primary reason for his club's early playoff exits? Absolutely not.

After Gardiner signed a four-year, $16.2-million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, most Toronto fans will simply say "good riddance," with Game 7 turnovers imprinted in their minds as they reflect on his tenure in blue and white. In reality, though, he was one of the most underappreciated Leafs players in recent memory and the franchise's second-best defenseman of his generation behind Morgan Rielly.

Looking strictly at the salary-cap era, one could argue Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe were better, but both made a significant portion of their contributions before the 2005 lockout. Dion Phaneuf is probably the only other modern Leafs blue-liner who gives Gardiner a run for his money.

Gardiner was an easy target. Toronto's fan base, for the most part, has always adored the underdog. The player who brings grit, toughness, tenacity, and a chip on his shoulder. Players like Darcy Tucker. Gardiner, at least visibly, didn't offer any of those traits.

The areas in which Gardiner excels aren't as obvious to the casual fan. He's one of the NHL's best puck-movers and transition defensemen. He makes an excellent first pass and, when necessary, can skate his way out of trouble with some of the most unique edge work in the league.

Gardiner is mistake-prone, though, and his mistakes are glaring. Although his net impact in Toronto was far more positive than negative, most Leafs fans couldn't look past his blunders. The home crowd at Scotiabank Arena even booed him whenever he touched the puck during a regular-game against the Colorado Avalanche in January.

Over the last three seasons, the Leafs controlled 53.3% of the scoring chances, 54.2% of the high-danger scoring chances, and 58.5% of the goals scored with Gardiner on the ice at five-on-five. Those are elite numbers, and they're even more impressive when one considers the fact he had to drag Nikita Zaitsev around for the bulk of those three campaigns.

Here's a look at how Gardiner and Zaitsev performed with and without each other over that span:

Situation	CF%	xGF%	GF%	SCF%	HDCF%
Together	49.2	50.5	51.6	52.1	54.9
Zaitsev w/o Gardiner	48.8	48	44.8	50.7	48.5
Gardiner w/o Zaitsev	52.4	52.2	64.5	54.3	54.2

CF% = Corsi for (shot attempt) percentage
xGF% = Expected goals for percentage
GF% = Goals for percentage
SCF% = Scoring chances for percentage
HDCF% = High-danger scoring chances for percentage

If there was blame to be placed on the Gardiner-Zaitsev pairing, Leafs fans should have been pointing their fingers at Zaitsev. Imagine how much more effective Gardiner would've been with a competent partner.

We may find out as early as this season.

A bargain for Carolina

If healthy, Gardiner could prove the most cost-efficient signing of the offseason. That's a big if, considering a back injury kept him out of the Leafs' lineup for 20 games during the 2018-19 season. When he returned for a brief tune-up before the playoffs, it was clear he wasn't himself, and while he'd never admit it on record, it's an obvious excuse for his uneven postseason performance.

That's likely why Gardiner remained on the open market until Friday, and why he signed a deal below market value. Without injury concerns, he would've likely garnered a longer-term contract in the range of $6-7 million annually, comparable to Tyler Myers' five-year, $30-million deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

In joining Carolina, though, Gardiner probably couldn't have landed in a better spot.

Not only are Hurricanes fans more forgiving than those in Toronto, but the team's roster - playing an up-tempo style and thriving on puck possession - is a great fit for his game.

Gardiner will likely slot in on the left side of his new team's second pairing - a familiar spot. But instead of carrying a lackluster partner, he'll likely get a chance to play with one of the league's very best shutdown blue-liners in Brett Pesce. Blossoming into the new Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Pesce is a steadying presence perfectly suited to playing alongside a risk-taker like Gardiner.

Here's a look at the Canes' projected blue line:

LD	RD
Jaccob Slavin	Dougie Hamilton
Jake Gardiner	Brett Pesce
Gustav Forsling	Justin Faulk
Haydn Fleury

*Trevor van Riemsdyk underwent offseason shoulder surgery and could start the season on LTIR

Gardiner will likely receive some power-play time, and at just 29 years old, is set up to have some of the best years of his career in Raleigh. He told reporters other teams offered short-term contracts, but he wanted a long-term deal. The Hurricanes will soon be rewarded for taking a chance on an undervalued asset.

General manager Don Waddell has some shuffling to do to get under the salary cap, but he essentially used the money that would've gone to Justin Williams - who, at least temporarily, has ended his playing career - to fill a gaping hole on the left side of the blue line.

None of this is to say Toronto should've re-signed Gardiner. Though his annual cap it is the same as it was on his previous deal, the cap-strapped Leafs couldn't afford to wait around and count on him to return without upgrading the defense in the meantime. There are at least a handful of teams, however, that may regret not taking a chance on Gardiner.

Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Jake Gardiner to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $4.05 million, the team announced Friday.

More to come.

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Joe Thornton has signed a one-year deal to remain with the San Jose Sharks for the 2019-20 season, the team announced Friday.

Terms of the contract weren't officially disclosed, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it's worth $2 million.

"Words cannot equate the impact that Joe has had on this franchise since his arrival in San Jose in 2005," general manager Doug Wilson said in the team's announcement. "Joe is a generational player who seemingly blazes past an existing Hall of Famer with each game he plays. His leadership and dedication to the organization and his teammates is inspiring. He has the rare ability to make the players around him better and we're excited to see him healthy and back wearing the Sharks crest."

Thornton was an unrestricted free agent this summer. His one-year deal is the third in a row he's signed, with each coming cheaper than the last. His contract in 2017-18 was worth $8 million, and he earned $5 million last season.

At 40 years old, Thornton's future following San Jose's elimination in May's Western Conference Final was unclear, but he assured if he came back for a 22nd season, it would only be for the Sharks.

Thornton battled some injuries last season but still produced 51 points in 73 games before adding 10 more in 19 playoff contests.

With each point, Thornton continues to climb the all-time ranks. He currently sits 14th in league history with 1,478 career points and is well within range of hitting the illustrious 1,500-point plateau. He's also eighth all time in assists with 1,065, passing the likes of Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Steve Yzerman this past season.

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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews doesn't want to see restricted free agent Mitch Marner's contract dispute go the same route that William Nylander's did last season.

"Willie, he didn't enjoy those three months not being with the team, not playing," Matthews told NHL.com for the Player Media Tour in Chicago. "Obviously jumping back in midseason, you haven't played a game in six or seven months, it's tough mentally and physically. I don't think anybody really wants this to drag out.

"Obviously, we'd love to see him (sign) as soon as possible. He's a big part of our team, so obviously when the season starts, you want to see him out there with everybody."

Nylander didn't sign his deal until minutes before the deadline on Dec.1. He struggled to find his game when he returned and said after the season that he regretted missing time.

Marner is a long way from reaching the point Nylander did, but Toronto's training camp opens next week and the club's leading scorer said he "probably" won't attend without a new contract.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier this week that the two sides have continued to discuss the contract and he's hopeful Marner will be signed when the team convenes in St. John's, Newfoundland on Sept. 13.

Toronto is currently projected to have a cap hit of more than $700,00 over the NHL's $81.5-million salary cap limit, but it can build an offseason roster as rich as $92.05 million before placing David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to drop back within the limit, according to Cap Friendly. The Maple Leafs can also shed some additional money by optioning players to the minors.

Marner is coming off the best season of his three-year career, as he posted 94 points in 82 games in 2018-19.

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This past offseason saw plenty of players undergo a change of scenery. While a new team can often mean a fresh start, here are three faces in new places to stay away from this fantasy hockey campaign.

Corey Perry, RW, Stars

Perry won't be pulling on an Anaheim Ducks sweater for the first time in his 14-year career. The 34-year-old signed a one-year deal in Dallas following his buyout from the team where he won a Stanley Cup, a Rocket Richard, and an MVP.

The veteran winger has been handed a new opportunity with the Stars but he likely won't come close to being the player he was in the past. He'll probably be buried on Dallas' second or third line and could be limited to second-unit power-play duties due to the club's bevy of options.

Injuries have derailed Perry's production over the last few years, so the bar for him to have a decent bounce-back campaign is pretty low. However, he's worth nothing more than a waiver pickup this fantasy season.

Micheal Ferland, LW/RW, Canucks

Ferland inked a lucrative four-year contract with the Canucks this offseason after posting 40 points in 71 games in Carolina last season. He has all the tools to be an effective player in Vancouver's lineup on the ice but he has a lot of red flags fantasy-wise.

First and foremost, Ferland's health is a major issue. He spoke last season about his concerns for his well-being after suffering the second concussion of his career.

Second, the 27-year-old doesn't register a ton of shots and is unlikely to earn big power-play minutes on a Canucks team laden with young talent.

Ferland has spent plenty of time alongside superstars in both Carolina and Calgary. If he gets a look alongside Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser on Vancouver's top line, Ferland could have some value as a streaming option. Otherwise, there's too much risk involved.

Robin Lehner, G, Blackhawks

Lehner was a steal in fantasy leagues last year, as the 28-year-old posted a career-high .930 save percentage across 46 games with the Islanders en route to being an out-of-nowhere Vezina Trophy finalist.

For whatever reason, the Isles couldn't come to terms with Lehner on a new deal, and now he'll share a crease with longtime starter Corey Crawford after winding up in Chicago.

Crawford's missed a ton of time in recent seasons due to injuries, so Lehner may have an opportunity to emerge as the Blackhawks' No. 1. However, he still needs to prove last season wasn't a flash in the pan. He may be in tough to do so, as he goes from the defensive-minded Isles, who allowed the 11th-fewest shots per game last season (30.9), to a Blackhawks squad that gave up 34.8 per contest - the second-highest number in the league.

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