Jonathan Bernier Deserves One More Chance

 

By Alex Hobson

I can almost guarantee that if you're the typical Leafs fan that watched the majority of their games last season, then you're thinking "You're an idiot. Trade him as soon as you can". I know you're thinking that because that was what almost every Leaf fan was thinking last season. But hear me out.

If you don't already know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the 2015-16 scapegoat in Jonathan Bernier. 

LAST SEASON

Bernier was known for his absolutely abysmal performance to start the season last year. He had the worst start of his career by far, posting a record of 0-8-3 and didn't get his first win until December 19th against the Los Angeles Kings, his former season. Meanwhile, fellow goaltender James Reimer was experiencing the best start of his career, in which he was leading the league in save percentage for a while. Bernier ended up getting injured, which saw prospect Garret Sparks earn a callup, and then go on to record a shutout in his first game. This led all fans to believe that Sparks and Reimer was the tandem to go with, and that Bernier needed to be shipped as far away as possible.

He eventually did so bad that he was assigned to the Toronto Marlies on a ten day conditioning stint to clean up his act and fix his mental stability. After he joined the team again, his play slowly, but steadily improved. He began to look like himself again, and finally recorded his first win, a shutout, against the Los Angeles Kings on December 19th. Eventually, his play was back to normal. Not great (but really was anyone on the team doing great at that point?), but better than he was at the start.

On February 26th, James Reimer was traded to the San Jose Sharks, which left Bernier and Sparks manning the crease. Bernier realized that now was his time to prove that he could play better than he did at the beginning of the year, and he did just that.

By the end of season, Bernier had played 11 games since the deadline in which he posted a record of 5-6-0 with a GAA of 2.36 and a save percentage of .925, which are very respectable numbers for a goalie backstopping a team who's team was filled with a mix between rookies and underperforming veterans.

A LOOK AT SOME STATS

By now, you're probably thinking "yeah, so he finished the season decently. So what? He's still a terrible goalie". And to that I say no, he had a terrible start. Let's take a look at Bernier's stats in the two seasons before this one.

2013-14: 26-19-7, 2.68 GAA, .923 save percentage

2014-15: 21-28-7, 2.87 GAA, .912 save percentage

He had a good 2013-14 season, and an average 2014-15 season. Bernier's only really neccessarily bad season was this year, and the majority of it came at the start.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT SEASON?

As of now, next season's Leafs team is already looking miles better than last year's. Not only will our top prospects who have already shown that they can play such as William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, Zach Hyman, and Connor Carrick likely be full timers, but top prospect Mitch Marner and presumed first overall pick Auston Matthews will also likely become Leafs come fall. Throw in the possibility of Steven Stamkos coming home and youngsters like Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly stepping into bigger roles, and you've got yourself a Leafs team that will be much more competitive than last year's.

Here is Bernier's fate. He's currently in the final season of a two year contract, and assuming Shanny and Co. don't go out in free agency and sign a goalie who is equal or better than Bernier, he will have the crease to himself, likely with Garret Sparks backing him up. He seems to do better when there isn't somebody challenging him, so this is how it works.

If Bernier redeems himself and plays like he did two years ago with a better team in front of him and the net to himself, then he could re sign to a short term deal until either one of our goaltender prospects in Sparks, Antoine Bibeau, Kasimir Kaskisuo, or somebody in the draft develops, or if we trade for or sign somebody else. However, if he repeats last season, then he's gone. There will be no reason to keep him around if he plays like he did last season.

The point to be taken from this article is that Bernier deserves one more chance. Fans are already calling for his head, but he's proven he can be a reliable starter in the past, and it's entirely possible he repeats that this upcoming season. Leafs fans should give him one more chance to redeem himself and support him along the way.

Thanks for reading.

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 44th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 45th overall, highlighted, by Ryan Spooner and Jeff Petry. There are now 44 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten players drafted 44th overall.

2006 - Nikolai Kulemin, LW (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Kulemin was drafted as a solid two way forward with a knack for scoring goals, which should be attractive to most teams. Kulemin's career season was 2010-11 where he recorded 30 goals and 57 points in 82 games, but he's severely dropped off since then. He now plays for the New York Islanders.

2007 - Aaron Palushaj, LW (St Louis Blues)

Palushaj was a very highly touted forward coming out of the NCAA, having totaled 50 points in 39 games in his final season with the University of Michigan, but he simply couldn't produce in the NHL. He's currently playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.

2008 - Luke Adam, LW (Buffalo Sabres)

Adam has developed into a solid depth forward, mainly a callup, throughout his career. He's played for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Rangers, playing 90 games and combining for a total of 26 points.

2009 - Drew Shore, C (Florida Panthers)

Shore has been a solid depth acquisition since being dealt to the Calgary Flames. He put up 38 points in 59 games for the Stockton Heat this year.

2010 - Sebastian Wannstrom, LW (St. Louis Blues)

Wannstrom never panned out for the Blues since being drafted in 2010. He spent the last three years playing in North America in the AHL and ECHL, but returned to Sweden this year to play for Rogle BK of the SHL.

2011 - Brett Ritchie, RW (Dallas Stars)

Ritchie's development has been slow, but he's been a solid player for the Stars organization since his debut. He recorded 28 points in 35 AHL games for the Texas Stars this year.

2012 - Jake McCabe, D (Buffalo Sabres)

McCabe has slowly been developing into one of the Sabres' best defensive prospects. He's not the most flashy, but he's solid all around and could very well become a regular for years to come. He put up 14 points in 77 games for the Sabres this year.

2013 - Tristan Jarry, G (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Jarry was drafted as a potential goalie of the future for the Pittsburgh Penguins, that is, before current young star Matt Murray absolutely broke out in the playoffs for the Penguins. Needless to say, Jarry has been solid in the organization but his future might not be in Pittsburgh, with Marc-Andre Fleury and Murray running the show.

2014 - Eric Cornel, C (Buffalo Sabres)

Cornel just finished his final junior season as captain of the Peterborough Petes, putting up 83 points in 63 games for the Petes. He will likely join the AHL next year, playing for the Rochester Americans.

2015 - Matt Spencer, D (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Spencer will likely never wow you with his offensive ability, but he's a traditional stay at home defenseman. He has good size and plays a strong, physical game.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 44th: Nikolai Kulemin

Kulemin would not be the best player on a better list, but he is the most proven and has had a lengthy NHL career since being drafted. He now plays as a valuable depth forward on the New York Islanders.

RUNNER UP: Drew Shore

POTENTIAL STEALS: Jake McCabe, Tristan Jarry

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 45th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 46th overall, highlighted by Robin Lehner and Jhonas Enroth. There are now 45 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten players drafted 45th overall.

2006 - Jeff Petry, D (Edmonton Oilers)

Between the NCAA, AHL, and NHL, Petry has become a very reliable middle pairing defensive defensemen. He's split time between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, recording 97 points in 365 games along the way.

2007 - Colby Cohen, D (Colorado Avalanche)

Cohen never made it to the NHL as a full time player. He spent a couple of solid seasons in the AHL and ECHL, but retired from the game after the 2014-15 season.

2008 - Zac Dalpe, LW (Carolina Hurricanes)

Dalpe has made himself known as a solid depth forward for many teams. He's yet to become a full time NHLer, but he's been a solid callup for the teams he's played for, including the Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild.

2009 - Jeremy Morin, RW (Atlanta Thrashers)

Morin, a similar case to Dalpe, has yet to secure a full time NHL job. He's had a couple of runs in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets, but hasn't been able to lock himself on an NHL roster.

2010 - Ryan Spooner, C (Boston Bruins)

Spooner's development as an NHLer has been slow, but it finally paid off after this season. He's had a couple of decent stints, but he really broke out this season, putting up 49 points in 80 games. At age 24, there is still room for him to get better.

2011 - Markus Granlund, C (Calgary Flames)

Brother of Wild centre Mikael Granlund, Markus has been slowly developing into a solid defensive forward. He was recently traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Hunter Shinkaruk, and will have an opportunity to secure a full time NHL role next season.

2012 - Anthony Stolarz, G (Philadelphia Flyers)

Stolarz recently joined the pros after a lengthy career in the USA, and he's been a solid goalie for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He posted a record of 21-18-7 with a 2.60 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

2013 - Nick Sorensen, RW (Anaheim Ducks)

The young Dane spent three seasons playing in the QMJHL for the Quebec Remparts, but recently moved to Sweden to play in the SHL. This past season with Linkoping, he recorded 23 points in 37 games.

2014 - Brett Pollock, LW (Dallas Stars)

Pollock recently completed what would be his final year in the WHL, where he recorded 78 points in 72 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He will likely join the Stockton Heat full time next season.

2015 - Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C (Boston Bruins)

Forsbacka-Karlsson is the rare Swede who spent almost his entire career in North America. In his draft year, he played for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, and this season made the transition to Bostin University where he recorded 30 points in 39 games. He's committed to Boston U next season as well.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 45th: Ryan Spooner

It came down to Spooner and Petry for this one, but I gave Spooner the slight edge in this one simply because he's a potential 50 point producer and is younger. He could become a quality second line centre for the Bruins for years to come.

RUNNER UPS: Jeff Petry and Markus Granlund

POTENTIAL STEALS: Nick Sorensen and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 46th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 47th overall, highlighted by Tyler Toffoli and Shawn Matthias. There are now 46 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten players drafted 46th overall.

2006 - Jhonas Enroth, G (Buffalo Sabres)

Enroth first entered the league full time in 2010-11, and has since been a very reliable backup splitting time between the Sabres, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings. He finished this season with the Kings with a 7-5-1 record, along with a 2.17 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

2007 - Theo Ruth, D (Washington Capitals)

Ruth really never panned out in the pros since being drafted. He failed to produce in both the AHL and the ECHL, and retired from hockey in 2013-14.

2008 - Colby Robak, D (Florida Panthers)

Robak has had a couple of solid AHL seasons, but has yet to pan out in the NHL. He's shuffled between many organizations, including the Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, and Buffalo Sabres.

2009 - Robin Lehner, G (Ottawa Senators)

Lehner was once looked at as the goalie of the future for the Ottawa Senators. Though after AHL goaltender Andrew Hammond broke out and had a monster run, there was no place for Lehner on the team. He was traded to Buffalo and put up very respectable numbers on a rather weak team.

2010 - Martin Marincin, D (Edmonton Oilers)

Marincin was drafted as a very solid defensive defenseman for the Oilers, but they ended up trading him in the offseason to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he found himself playing top pairing minutes alongside of Morgan Rielly.

2011 - Joel Edmundson, D (St. Louis Blues)

It took a while, but Edmundson is slowly developing into a mainstay on the Blues defensive core as a stay at home defenseman. He appeared in 67 games this season, posting nine points.

2012 - Raphael Bussieres, LW (Minnesota Wild)

Bussieres has spent the majority of his pro career in the ECHL for the Alaska Aces and the Quad City Mallards since going pro, with minor stints in the AHL.

2013 - Gustav Olofsson, D (Minnesota Wild)

Olofsson has put up solid totals in the AHL since turning pro, especially for the type of player he is. He registered 17 points in 52 games for the Iowa Wild, and could look to improve it next season.

2014 - Julius Bergman, D (San Jose Sharks)

Bergman had a strong season in the AHL last year with the London Knights, and had a decent first AHL campaign with the San Jose Barracuda, putting up 11 points in 60 games.

2015 - Daniel Sprong, RW (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Sprong is the definition of a profilic goal scorer. He had a great season with the Charlottetown Islanders last season in which he recorded 88 points in 68 games, and he joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for their playoff run, where he's totaled five goals and six points in six games.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 46th: Robin Lehner

To me, this came down to Lehner and Enroth. I gave Lehner the edge simply because he's done more than Enroth at a younger age, and now that he's been given a full starting job in Buffalo, he could very likely develop into a quality NHL goalie.

RUNNER UPS: Jhonas Enroth, Martin Marincin

POTENTIAL STEAL: Daniel Sprong

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 47th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 48th overall, highlighted by Xavier Ouellet. There are now 47 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten players drafted 47th overall.

2006 - Shawn Matthias, C (Detroit Red Wings)

Matthias has enjoyed a solid NHL career to date, splitting time as a third line checker type player between the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and now Colorado Avalanche. He never played for the Wings but has totaled 159 points in 479 NHL games.

2007 - Dana Tyrell, C (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Tyrell had a good junior career and a decent AHL career, but never panned out in the NHL. He played one full season in 2010-11 for the Lightning, but never played more than 25 games after that, and is now retired.

2008 - Maxime Sauve, C (Boston Bruins)

Sauve didn't pan out in the NHL for the Bruins, playing a couple of seasons for the Providence Bruins in the AHL. He left North America for the DEL, but recently returned and spent last season with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.

2009 - Ethan Werek, RW (New York Rangers)

The hard working checking forward has jumped between many minor league teams, but is now playing in the Carolina Hurricanes system for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

2010 - Tyler Toffoli, RW (Los Angeles Kings)

Toffoli, has quickly become one of the Kings' most reliable offensive forwards. After a good performance last season, he absolutely broke out this year in a campaign that saw him put up 31 goals and 58 points in 82 games. There's still room for him to develop as well.

2011 - Matt Nieto, LW (San Jose Sharks)

Nieto has been a very reliable two way forward for the Sharks since being drafted. This season, he put up 17 points in 67 games while playing bottom six minutes. He will likely never wow anybody with offensive production, but he's a very solid defensive player.

2012 - Brock McGinn, LW (Carolina Hurricanes)

Brother of Tye and Jamie McGinn, Brock had a very successful OHL career with the Guelph Storm and has enjoyed a very successful sophomore AHL season this year, putting up 35 points in 48 games for the Charlotte Checkers.

2013 - Tommy Vannelli, D (St. Louis Blues)

Vannelli made the transition to the WHL in 2013-14, and after two successful seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, he joined the Chicago Wolves for the AHL season but missed almost the entire season due to injury. He could still become a solid defenseman for the Blues.

2014 - Ryan Collins, D (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Collins is a massive defensive defenseman who won't overwhelm you with offensive production, but rather play a very safe, stay at home game. He put up 4 points in 29 games for the University of Minnesota this season.

2015 - Jansen Harkins, C (Winnipeg Jets)

Harkins is one of those players that doesn't neccessarily excel in any aspect, but rather is good in every area of his game and will consistently be a reliable player for you. His offensive production dipped slightly this season, but he will head back to play for Prince George for one final season before playing in the AHL full time.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 47th: Tyler Toffoli

It's not hard to choose Tyler Toffoli as the best player on this list. He had his first 30 goal season at age 23 and could very well do it again given his age and the players around him. Overall a very good player.

RUNNER UPS: Shawn Matthias, Matt Nieto

POTENTIAL STEALS: Jansen Harkins, Tommy Vannelli

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 48th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 49th overall, highlighted by Calvin Pickard and Stefan Elliott. There are now 48 days until the 2016 NHL Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten players drafted 48th overall.

2006 - Joey Ryan, D (Los Angeles Kings)

Ryan is the classic case of a player who had a good junior career, but failed to live up to expectations in the pros and eventually retired. He played for a number of AHL and ECHL teams before retiring after the 2012-13 season.

2007 - Antoine Lafleur, G (New York Rangers)

Lafleur looked like a pretty good goalie in his draft year, but his stats quickly plummeted afterwards and he retired after his final junior season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Needless to say, he didn't pan out.

2008 - Mitch Wahl, C (Calgary Flames)

Wahl had a great junior career and a couple of decent AHL seasons, but never made it past there. He spent last season with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL but eventually left North America and most recently played for IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Allsvenskan League. He's committed to Ilves of the SM-Liiga for next season.

2009 - Brett Ponich, D (St. Louis Blues)

Ponich has yet to establish himself in the NHL, or even the AHL. He's currently playing for the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, where this past season the hulking defenseman recorded 18 points in 68 games.

2010 - Curtis Hamilton, LW (Edmonton Oilers)

Hamilton is oddly enough the first player on this list to even make it to the NHL, and he only played in one game. He spent time in the AHL after his junior career before going to the Czech Republic to play for HC Sparta Praha.

2011 - Xavier Ouellet, D (Detroit Red Wings)

Ouellet has become a quality defenseman in the Red Wings farm system and even earned himself a pair of callups over the last two seasons. He recorded 29 points in 61 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

2012 - Dillon Fournier, D (Chicago Blackhawks)

Fournier only played a total nine games in the AHL and ECHL combined this season due to injury. If he heals properly, he could still develop into a solid defenseman.

2013 - Zach Nastasiuk, RW (Detroit Red Wings)

Nastasiuk is a very effective two way forward and penalty killer. He spent this season jumping between the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He recorded 20 points in 25 games for the Walleye.

2014 - Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW (Philadelphia Flyers)

Kubel has enjoyed a very solid junior career to this date, finishing last season over a point per game. He turns 20 in a few days, so he'll likely play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season.

2015 - Filip Chlapik, LW (Ottawa Senators)

Chlapik had a very solid draft year performance, but his production totals have dipped slightly since then. He could still become a very solid player for the Sens if he has a rebound 2016-17 junior season.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 48th: Xavier Ouellet

I know we've had some pretty bad lists, but man, this one was just pathetic. Ouellet could turn out to be a solid defenseman, but he hasn't had enough NHL experience to be deserving of the average best player title. Needless to say, teams really didn't do well when picking at 48th.

RUNNER UP: None

POTENTIAL STEALS: Nicolas Aube-Kuel, Filip Chlapik

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 49th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 50th overall, highlighted by Milan Lucic and Colton Sissons. There are now 49 days until the 2016 NHL Draft, so today we'll look at the last ten players drafted 49th overall.

2006 - Ben Maxwell, C (Montreal Canadiens)

Maxwell had a good WHL career along with some successful AHL stints and even a few decent NHL stints, but after being traded three times he never ended up making it to the NHL full time. He now plays for HK Sochi of the KHL.

2007 - Trevor Cann, G (Colorado Avalanche)

Cann never made it to the NHL after a lengthy career in the AHL, and is currently playing in the ECHL for the Brampton Beast. He also appeared in one game for the Stoney Creek Generals of the ACH.

2008 - Jared Staal, RW (Phoenix Coyotes)

Shortly after turning pro, Staal was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes to be united with his brothers, Eric and Jordan. Jared's career never took off like his brothers' did, however. He's currently playing in the ECHL for the South Carolina Stingrays.

2009 - Stefan Elliott, D (Colorado Avalanche)

After being traded twice recently, Elliott is now playing for the Milwaukee Admirals in the Nashville Predators organization. He's put up decent totals, with 19 points in 35 games.

2010 - Calvin Pickard, G (Colorado Avalanche)

It took some time, but Pickard is developing into a solid NHL goalie. After Reto Berra was injured last season, Pickard earned himself a callup and became the full time backup this season, posting a record of 7-6-1 with a 2.56 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

2011 - Christopher Gibson, G (Los Angeles Kings)

After the Kings didn't sign him, Gibson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he spent the majority of his time there with the Toronto Marlies organization. He was recently traded to the New York Islanders in a six player deal and has played in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

2012 - Martin Frk, LW (Detroit Red Wings)

Frk had a solid junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads and has since made his way to the AHL for the Red Wings, recording 68 points in 149 AHL games.

2013 - Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau, LW (San Jose Sharks)

Boudreau just finished a solid junior career in the QMJHL, splitting time between the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and Gatineau Olympiques. He will report to the San Jose Barracuda next season.

2014 - Vaclav Karabacek, RW (Buffalo Sabres)

Karabacek is described as a player who will not wow you with his skills in any area, but he's just a very solid forward who plays a simple game. He's recorded 117 points in 171 QMJHL games so far.

2015 - Roope Hintz, C (Dallas Stars)

The big Finn has grown into a very reliable forward for HIFK of the SM-Liiga. He recorded four points in seven games for Team Finland at the World Juniors and he recorded 20 points in 33 games for HIFK.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 49th: Calvin Pickard

Pickard highlights a very weak list of players drafted to 49th. He's been a solid goalie for the Avs, but still needs to develop his game. Nonetheless he could become a quality goaltender for the Avs in the near future.

RUNNER UP: Stefan Elliott

POTENTIAL STEALS: Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau, Roope Hintz