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.
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.