The Toronto Maple Leafs made some noise heading into the 2016 NHL Draft by trading for goaltender Frederik Andersen of the Anaheim Ducks. Shortly after landing Andersen, the Leafs wasted little time locking him up to a five-year contract. The move caught some off guard, but one of the least surprised was Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier. The one thing that did surprise Bernier was the long-term contract.
Bernier spoke with ESPN and offered his thoughts on the move which brought more competition to the crease.
“You know what, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t surprised on the trade to get another goalie. I was expecting it obviously with the season I had last year. I’m sure I put some doubts in a lot of people’s minds. That’s the business, right? You got to win and you got to prove that you’re consistent and you’re a good goalie to stay in this league. So I wasn’t surprised. Maybe a little surprised on the long-term contract [Andersen signed a five-year deal], but that’s the way it works.”
Bernier didn’t exactly give the Leafs any confidence in his abilities in 2015-16, posting a 2.88 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 38 appearances. He’s been on a steady decline after a mostly solid debut with the Leafs in 2013-14 in which he had a 2.68 GAA and .923 save percentage. As he prepares to turn 28 in August, Bernier appears to have an uncertain future in Toronto.
The Leafs made it clear with Andersen’s contract that Bernier isn’t going to be the long-term option. Bernier is still under contract for 2016-17 and will carry a $4.15 million cap hit. The club will have $9.15 million locked up in net this season and a move involving Bernier might make sense as it’s difficult to envision the Leafs being comfortable with that much money tied up in goal with so many other areas to improve.
The wise move may be to give Bernier a decent number of starts with the goal to boost his trade value while also keeping Andersen sharp. A trade may not develop right away, but there’s bound to be a team willing to give Bernier a shot assuming the price is right.
