Gardiner skated just 12:48 in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win against the Sabres. He finished the game with zero points, two shots on goal and a minus-3 rating.

EDGE Analysis

This is not a good sign for anyone who thought Gardiner would be a top-four blueliner with the Hurricanes this season. After averaging almost 18 minutes in ice time over his first 14 games, Gardiner has since been bumped to the bottom pairing, where he's averaged just 14:26 in the past two games. Offensively, he now has just six points in 19 games this season and is not in a prime position to add to that total given his current assignment. You are better off benching him for the time being.