Jake Gardiner To Miss Start Of The Season

Jake Gardiner is going to have hip surgery. Due to this, he will be placed on long-term injured reserve by the Carolina Hurricanes. He will now be out for at least the beginning of the season.

Waddell says he thought it was 50-50 Habs would match or not match. Says Canes should have no cap issues. Says Jake Gardiner will have hip surgery and will go on LTIR
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) September 5, 2021

Gardiner has had a rough go of things since joining the Hurricanes. Injuries have caused him to miss a significant amount of time and he's also been healthy scratched due to their strong depth on the backend. He was limited to just 26 games this past season and had eight assists. When he signed with the team during the 2019 off-season, he just come off of a 30-point campaign in 62 games with the Maple Leafs.

Gardiner has two years left on his deal and carries a $4.05 million cap hit. With the additions of Ian Cole, Ethan Bear and Tony DeAngelo, his spot in the top-six was already in jeopardy. Now with him expected to miss significant time, his chances may be even lower when he eventually returns.

Here's to hoping Gardiner heals quickly and is able to make a solid impact once back on the ice.