Gardiner likely to miss season

*Photo from Canes Country*

   With the Carolina Hurricanes in a cap crunch after landing Jesperi Kotkaniemi, they just freed up the cap space they needed, but it comes at the cost of the defense. Hurricanes left shot D Jake Gardiner will undergo back and hip surgery and will likely miss the 2021-2022 season, according to GM Don Waddell.

   Gardiner is due just over $4 million annually in his contract, which runs through 2022-2023. As he will likely miss the season, the Hurricanes will be placing him on LTIR, which saves them money against the cap, thus clearing the cap space needed to fit in Kotkaniemi. Waddell did not say when the surgeries will take place.

   Waddell said in a press conference that "We won't be in a tight cap situation. Gardiner, who's going to have back and hip surgery here, is not going to be ready to go this year. So we had cap space available knowing that he'll go on LTIR."

   Last season, his 10th in the NHL, Gardiner scored zero goals, but did contribute 8 assists, with a -1 plus/minus in an ATOI of 16:03, being limited to just 26 regular season games and one playoff game. He missed time due to an upper body injury and a back injury.

   In 10 seasons in the NHL, Gardiner, a former first round pick, has 49 goals and 228 assists, with a -16 plus/minus in an ATOI of 20:39, playing in 645 regular season games. In 33 playoff games, Gardiner has two goals and 11 assists. 

   The Hurricanes will still be over the salary cap until they officially place Gardiner on LTIR. They can put Gardiner on LTIR at any time before opening night, when they would have to be cap compliant.