Jake Gardiner update.
With the Ducks back in Orange County, presumably re-adjusting to Pacific Time after suddenly dropping out of Central Time in the third period of Wednesday's 4-2 loss in Chicago, an interesting story came across the team Web page today comparing the progress of Jake Gardiner and Colin Wilson.
As you may recall, then-GM Brian Burke was contemplating trading up or trading down from the No. 12 position on the eve of the most recent NHL entry draft. Burke never said specifically that he didn't think Colin Wilson was worth trading up for, but when he eventually decided to trade down for Gardiner, Burke basically said there was a large third tier of players that Gardiner fell into; Wilson presumably fell into that second tier. Burke plucked Gardiner, a defenseman for the University of Wisconsin, out of that third tier at No. 17 rather than trade up to get Wilson (or anyone else he might have liked) at No. 7.
So this update from James Murphy of NHL.com should come as no surprise: Gardiner is doing well, while Wilson is doing possible-Hobey-Baker-winner well.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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