Gardiner (back) will return to action Thursday against the Lightning, Paul Hendrick of the Maple Leafs' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

After missing the last 18 games, Gardiner reportedly will accompany Nikita Zaitsev to form the second defensive pair. Gardiner has benefited greatly from the team's strong two-way play overall -- as evidenced by his plus-17 rating -- though he's 23 points short of his 2017-18 output since injuries have limited him to 60 games with just two more to play in the regular season.