Hurricanes' Jake Gardiner: Medically cleared to play

Gardiner (hip) has been given medical clearance to play and should be ready for the 2022-23 campaign, Sara Civian of The Athletic reports.

Gardiner missed the entirety of the season after undergoing hip surgery in September and spending the year on long-term injured reserve. The blueliner appeared in just 26 games during his more recent campaign, tallying eight assists, 15 hits and 23 shots while averaging 16:03 of ice time. With Gardiner good to go, the team may not need to retain both Brendan Smith and Ian Cole this offseason.