VANCOUVER

Other teams might covet Jake Gardiner.

But Jake Gardiner does not covet other teams.

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” the Maple Leafs rookie defenceman proclaimed. “I don’t want to be traded.

“I love it here. I want to be a Toronto Maple Leaf. That’s it.”

Just a year after the former first-round draft pick out of the University of Wisconsin was acquired along with forward Joffrey Lupul from the Anaheim Ducks as part of the deal that sent defenceman Francois Beauchemin out to Disneyland, Gardiner’s name has come up in trade chatter again, this time linked to the Rick Nash sweepstakes.

While Gardiner’s third-period goal was helping the Leafs claw their way to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday, a number of hockey types familiar with Scott Howson from his days in the Oilers organization continued to insist that the young Leaf blueliner is on the wish list of the Columbus GM in any potential package that would see Nash end up in Toronto.

Understandable.

For a kid who was not even projected to start the 2011-12 regular season with the parent club when players arrived at the Mastercard Centre for team physicals in mid-September, Gardiner’s meteoric rise now sees him as the leading rookie scorer among NHL defencemen with 18 points, at least as of Thursday.

But the impression Gardiner is making throughout the league cuts much deeper than just on the scoresheet. While he continues to be prone to the mistakes that plague even the most refined first-year NHLers, his effortless skating style and ability to slide into open seams on the offensive rush is being noticed and recognized on a nightly basis.

“He has some special skills,” said one western conference scout on Wednesday, his eyes glued on the Maple Leafs No. 51 from the Rexall Place press box. “This is the first time I’ve seen him live, and he has the makings of something special.”

By no concidence, those comments were similar to those made by another scout back in September during a pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

He’s got really good skill,” the scout said at the time. “What’s more, he looks really comfortable out there. He doesn’t seem to get rattled. That’s a pretty good Detroit Red Wings team they are icing down there, and (Gardiner) doesn’t seem to be phased by them in the least. It’s a pretty high paced game and he looks right at home.

“He moves the puck very well. But it’s more than that. He does little things with the puck that you have to look closely at to see.”

With the Columbus Dispatch reporting on Thursday that the Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings are the teams Nash would waive his no-movement clause for, Gardiner’s name will keep popping up, whether it be on twitter, the world wide web, wherever the rumour mill is churning out scuttlebutt.

“I hadn’t heard any of it yet, but I guess it’s flattering because it shows teams like you,” Gardiner said. “But that stuff doesn’t really matter to me. I like where I am and I just want to get better here.”

If he needs some advice on how to tune out such external distractions, maybe he should confer with teammate Luke Schenn.

Having been linked to a possible deal for Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk last month, poor Schenn has been the object of speculation on a nightly basis on television broadcasts. And when he was made a healthy scratch against the Oilers on Wednesday, the talk quickly escalated.

Word out of Columbus Thursday night was that the Bruins and Rangers were the early frontrunners in the Nash sweepstakes, but, until a deal is completed, who can really make that claim? All the while, Leafs general manager Brian Burke is wary that, after three years of building up the organization’s cache of young talent, a Nash deal could quickly leave the prospects’ cupboard bare again.

Whatever happens, Jake Gardiner doesn’t want to be part of it. He’s happy right where he is.

mike.zeisberger@sunmedia.ca

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