Gardiner will undergo surgery on both his hip and back and will be placed on long-term injured reserve to start the season, Sara Civian of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

At this point, fantasy players should probably expect Gardiner to miss the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign, though the club hasn't released an official statement or timeline for the blueliner's recovery. Even if he is cleared to play this year, the 31-year-old Minnesota native may struggle to break into the lineup with any consistency and therefore shouldn't be counted on to offer any real fantasy value.