It’s not often you’ll read the following statement from a charter member of Hockey’s Mathletes, but it’s becoming hard to ignore through 17 games: Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner has not been good.



His pair — with partner Nikita Zaitsev — hasn’t been good either, but the Gardiner part of it is what’s surprising because of how he played last season, and the fact it’s largely uncharted waters for him. Through his entire career, the Leafs have always been a better club with him on the ice compared to when he was on the bench. Last year, perhaps coincidentally due to a plus-24 rating, many started to come around to that fact.



As a result, he got more responsibility later in the year, and didn’t look entirely out of place. In fact, the Leafs surge at the end of the year can likely be tied to Gardiner’s growth into resembling an actual No. 1 defenceman — and not just one on...