By Alex Hobson
The day June 23rd 2013 is a day many Leafs fans will not forget. The day that the Leafs sent Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens, and a conditional 2nd round pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Jonathan Bernier. Not only would this move add a second capable goalie to the main roster, but it would also spark a new controversy among Leafs fans. Many Leafs fans argue that Bernier was the better goalie, others believe Reimer is the guy. Truth be told, despite people's opinions on who's the real man for the job, the Leafs have two good goaltenders. For this article, however, let's focus on Bernier and what he brings to the table.
Bernier has been a solid goaltender for the Leafs, and even though his record may sometimes not show it, he's a very able goaltender who, with the right team in front of him, can be a serviceable starter. Unfortunately, the Leafs haven't been able to put an overly strong team in front of Bernier. Given the weak defense the Leafs have had for the past 5 or so years, almost every goalie has been portrayed worse than he actually is, and yes, this includes Reimer as well. But all in all, Bernier hasn't been too bad for the Buds. In his first season, the 26 year old netminder recorded a 26-19-7 record with a 2.68 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, while his next season wasn't as good, with a 21-28-7 record, 2.87 goals against average, and .912 save percentage. These aren't awful numbers for a goalie, especially considering the mess the Leafs showed last year, but he's a decent goalie in general.
STATUS: AVAILIBLE FOR THE RIGHT PRICE
When I say Bernier is availible for the right price, that doesn't mean he's on the block and currently being shopped around. It just means he's not being shopped right now, but he's not untouchable and if an offer came around that the Leafs couldn't turn down, they would likely accept. For now, though, Bernier is safe.
2015-16 ROLE: STARTING GOALTENDER
According to the stats, Bernier will likely get the majority of the games for the Leafs in 2015-16. Keep in mind that Bernier will not start every single game, and Reimer will more than likely get his fair share of games, but given each netminder's statistics in the past two years, Bernier will start more games than Reimer.
What do you think of Bernier, Leafs fans? Weigh in below.
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