Things do not look good for the Maple Leafs’ blueline.



That was the update on Jake Gardiner on Wednesday afternoon, when he met with a surgeon to determine a course of action on his ailing back.



That, too, was the update late tonight on Travis Dermott, who suffered a shoulder injury at the end of a blowout win over the Oilers.



Officially, the Leafs are saying both players are week-to-week, which could mean a lot of things. (There’s a big difference between two weeks and eight weeks, given it’s almost March.)



Unofficially?



I’m told that Gardiner’s injury may potentially be along the lines of the one Zach Parise had at the beginning of last season, when he missed the first 39 games of the season. Part of the reason Parise was out so long was he waited to have surgery on a herniated disc, hoping to avoid the time (8-10 weeks) missed due to going under the knife.



That waiting period is probably where...