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While I only saw one year of Gardiner at his first year of defense in High school and I haven't payed attention to the Leafs at all, I still wouldn't even consider trading Brodin for Jake straight up. Brodin is a very special player not only cerebralley but his backwards skating is leagues ahead of Gardiner's at the same age. I know its only limited viewings but Gardiner got burned by several players that I considered underrated at the time and exactly zero of those players made the NHL. Game 7 in the playoffs at this point in time and I would easily prefer Brodin out there.
There isn't really any player on the Leafs that I would trade Brodin for within the next 4 years. I liked Kessel on the Gophers too but very few hockey players have displayed the hockey intelligence that Brodin has shown in the games that I have seen, I'm more than willing to gamble that he has a spectacular career even if his physical attributes are not super elite. Optimisim or homerism is what this post will be considered and I know Gardiner's prep career way better than the little I know of Brodin pre-professionally ,but I would be very disappointed if the Wild traded Brodin at any point in his career.
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