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Gettin’ paid: Gardiner inks five-year, $20.25M extension with Leafs

gettygardiner

James

Toronto has capped off a flurry of recent deals with a big one.

On Tuesday, the Leafs signed RFA defenseman Jake Gardiner to a five-year, $20.25 million deal, according to Sportsnet. The deal comes after an impressive campaign in which Gardiner posted career highs in goals (10) and points (31), all while averaging over 21 minutes per night in his third season as a Maple Leaf.

The deal also represents a big financial reward for the 24-year-old.

Gardiner gets a significant pay bump and will earn $4.05M annually with his new contract, making him Toronto’s second highest-paid blueliner -- behind captain Dion Phaneuf, who makes $7M per year -- and one of just two Maple Leaf rearguards to be signed past 2018 (Phaneuf’s the other).

It’s also a pretty dramatic turn of events considering that, roughly 16 months ago, the #FreeJakeGardiner hashtag/meme was a thing. Remember? Gardiner was stuck with the AHL Marlies -- he’d end up playing just 12 regular season games for the Leafs that year -- when his agent decided to take his beef to Twitter, leading to Randy Carlyle offering the Randy Carlyl-est of responses:

“When we feel it’s time for Jake Gardiner to come back we’re going to make that decision, and we’re not going to be influenced by anybody other than the people that are doing the assessing.”

Gardiner proved his doubters wrong that postseason, though, scoring five points in six playoff games in Toronto’s opening-round loss to Boston. He’s been a regular fixture in the lineup ever since, and now looks to be one of the cornerstones for the future.

Though there is this wrinkle to consider...

Jake Gardiner’s #leafs extension doesn’t include any no-movement protection, Sportsnet has learned. Great deal for both sides.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 29, 2014

As mentioned above, the deal caps off what’s been a busy period in Toronto. The Leafs have come to terms with a pair of their own free agents -- Cody Franson and James Reimer -- and inked veteran forwards David Booth and Daniel Winnik to one-year pacts.