Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Jake Gardiner has been fully cleared to return following surgery on his back and hips, according to Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell.
Gardiner was ruled out for the entirety of the 2021-22 season as a result of the surgeries and was placed on long-term injured reserve. The 31-year-old only played in 26 games in the previous campaign due to injuries and recorded eight assists.
He has one year remaining on his four-year, $16.2-million contract, which carries an average annual value of $4.05 million.
