When Jonathan Bernier was traded to in Toronto in 2013, Leafs Nation was thrilled.
Skip ahead to just over 29 months later.
Bernier is now on the outside looking in, watching as James Reimer re-establishes himself as Toronto's number one goalie. On top of that, rookie Garret Sparks has been the first star in two of his three career NHL games. With Bernier posting career-worst numbers this season, a trade or even waivers could be his future in Toronto.
Bernier came to Toronto in June of 2013, as part of a trade that sent Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin, and a second-round pick to Los Angeles. He was a first round pick in 2006, and had been a backup for the Kings since 2010, posting solid numbers in the few NHL games he played. In his first season with the Leafs in 2013-14, Bernier got off to a great start, finishing 6th among starting goalies in overall save percentage. He took over the starting job from James Reimer, who had been the team's playoff saviour the previous year. But for Bernier, it was all downhill from there.
Last season, Bernier's stats were mediocre, finishing with a .912 save percentage. Bernier's play declined throughout the season, and by the end of the year he had won only 6 of his final 31 games. This was concerning, but the Leafs had completely collapsed as a whole, interim head coach Peter Horachek was largely useless, and James Reimer actually posted a lower save percentage than Bernier. With all of this going on, Bernier's play could be overshadowed, and labelled as a fluke.
Now in 2015, there are no excuses for Bernier, who has lost all of his nine starts this season. Bernier's save percentage has dropped to a brutal .888, and Toronto has sent him down to the AHL for a conditioning stint. Bernier's play isn't the only part that seems to be leading to his demise as an NHL starter- it's also aided by the play of the Leafs' remaining goalies.
James Reimer came into the season as a backup, who seemed destined to play out the season when needed, then drift away into the free agency pool in 2016. However, Reimer has been the Leafs'
MVP as of late, with a 7-4-1 record for a team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Reimer has a .935 save percentage in 16 games, matching the likes of Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist.
Reimer recently dropped down with injuries, leaving the Leafs seemingly doomed to use Bernier in net until his return. But coach Mike Babcock did something unexpected. Babcock called up Toronto Marlies' goaltender Garret Sparks to play in the team's game last week against Edmonton instead of Bernier- and everyone knows how that went. Sparks became the first goalie in Maple Leafs' history to get a shutout in his NHL debut. After a rough outing against Winnipeg, Sparks rebounded beating a skilled St. Louis team, and was named the first star of the game.
So where did Toronto go wrong with their goaltending situation to get to this point?
The team should have let James Reimer ride out his good play into the next season after his playoff performance. Reimer was playing at the top of his game, but was then rewarded with the Leafs essentially pushing him to the side to make room for Bernier. Bernier then came in as the starter, and was expected to perform as an elite NHL goaltender. However what the Leafs seemed to disregard when they tried to make Bernier the face of the team, is that he had only played in only 62 games over the course of six seasons with the Kings before coming to Toronto. Sure his numbers were impressive, but he had never been tested as a starter. The Leafs didn't let Bernier develop into that role, but instead threw him into it, shunning Reimer in the process. This sent the Toronto's goaltending situation into a tailspin, only being recovered now.
With Reimer playing at his best, and Garret Sparks moving up the ranks, Bernier's days in Toronto seem to be numbered. Bernier did make 22 saves for a shutout in his first game with the Marlies on Friday night, but he'll have a tough time squeezing his way back into one of Toronto's top two goaltending spots.
From starter to minor leaguer, Bernier has seen it all since coming to Leafland. He is under contract through next season, but could now find himself forced out of Toronto much sooner than that. Every goalie has his time with a team, and Bernier's time in Toronto may be limited.
Skip ahead to just over 29 months later.
Bernier is now on the outside looking in, watching as James Reimer re-establishes himself as Toronto's number one goalie. On top of that, rookie Garret Sparks has been the first star in two of his three career NHL games. With Bernier posting career-worst numbers this season, a trade or even waivers could be his future in Toronto.
Last season, Bernier's stats were mediocre, finishing with a .912 save percentage. Bernier's play declined throughout the season, and by the end of the year he had won only 6 of his final 31 games. This was concerning, but the Leafs had completely collapsed as a whole, interim head coach Peter Horachek was largely useless, and James Reimer actually posted a lower save percentage than Bernier. With all of this going on, Bernier's play could be overshadowed, and labelled as a fluke.
Now in 2015, there are no excuses for Bernier, who has lost all of his nine starts this season. Bernier's save percentage has dropped to a brutal .888, and Toronto has sent him down to the AHL for a conditioning stint. Bernier's play isn't the only part that seems to be leading to his demise as an NHL starter- it's also aided by the play of the Leafs' remaining goalies.
James Reimer came into the season as a backup, who seemed destined to play out the season when needed, then drift away into the free agency pool in 2016. However, Reimer has been the Leafs'
MVP as of late, with a 7-4-1 record for a team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Reimer has a .935 save percentage in 16 games, matching the likes of Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist.
Reimer recently dropped down with injuries, leaving the Leafs seemingly doomed to use Bernier in net until his return. But coach Mike Babcock did something unexpected. Babcock called up Toronto Marlies' goaltender Garret Sparks to play in the team's game last week against Edmonton instead of Bernier- and everyone knows how that went. Sparks became the first goalie in Maple Leafs' history to get a shutout in his NHL debut. After a rough outing against Winnipeg, Sparks rebounded beating a skilled St. Louis team, and was named the first star of the game.So where did Toronto go wrong with their goaltending situation to get to this point?
The team should have let James Reimer ride out his good play into the next season after his playoff performance. Reimer was playing at the top of his game, but was then rewarded with the Leafs essentially pushing him to the side to make room for Bernier. Bernier then came in as the starter, and was expected to perform as an elite NHL goaltender. However what the Leafs seemed to disregard when they tried to make Bernier the face of the team, is that he had only played in only 62 games over the course of six seasons with the Kings before coming to Toronto. Sure his numbers were impressive, but he had never been tested as a starter. The Leafs didn't let Bernier develop into that role, but instead threw him into it, shunning Reimer in the process. This sent the Toronto's goaltending situation into a tailspin, only being recovered now.
With Reimer playing at his best, and Garret Sparks moving up the ranks, Bernier's days in Toronto seem to be numbered. Bernier did make 22 saves for a shutout in his first game with the Marlies on Friday night, but he'll have a tough time squeezing his way back into one of Toronto's top two goaltending spots.
From starter to minor leaguer, Bernier has seen it all since coming to Leafland. He is under contract through next season, but could now find himself forced out of Toronto much sooner than that. Every goalie has his time with a team, and Bernier's time in Toronto may be limited.






