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“I just think he’s a way better player than he was a year and a half ago,” Babcock said of Gardiner’s evolution since he took over Toronto’s bench.

Gardiner’s escape from centre stage is thanks in part to the influx of talented youngsters like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, who are sucking up most of the oxygen. But it’s also the result of a connection between player and coach that was lacking before Babcock’s arrival.

The former first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks says Babcock allows him to be himself on the ice, not asking that he transform into a different type of defenceman.

“I think he just realizes that I’m not going to be a guy that kills guys or hits guys,” said Gardiner, averaging less than one hit per game this year. “I’m going to be in the right positions most of the time and move the puck well and make that first pass. I think he just realizes that that’s my game and kind of ran with it I guess.”

Babcock isn’t sure if Gardiner’s improvement is tied to a surge in confidence, natural progression with age or increased comfort as a defender, but he recognizes the player’s importance.

“He generates offence for us. He doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in his own zone and can play against good players,” said Babcock. “He’s getting better defensively every day and we think he’s an important part of our team.”

Acquired from Anaheim in January 2011, Gardiner got to Toronto as a 20-year-old and found a kindred spirit in former Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who wanted the Leafs always on the attack, an approach that played well to a player who liked to dart up the ice and make plays with the puck.