TSN Radio Dreger: Jonathan Bernier could play himself onto 2014 Olympic team.

[Duke Silver]

J.Reimer: 4gms, 4-0-0, .920sv%
J.Bernier: 3gms, 2-1-0, .917sv%

Just curious, who were their opponents, respectively?

Edit: IIHF website sucks, thank god for HockeyCanada.ca:

Reimer played Belarus (4-1), France (9-1), Switzerland (4-3 OT), U.S.A (4-3 SO)
Bernier played Norway (3-2), Sweden (3-2), Russia (1-2)

 

[bert]

Agree.

Bernier is all hype
Bolland is a 4th line plug
Clarkson is a 4th line plug as well.

Grabo was god.
Rielly is still in diapers and is a pylon.

Did I miss any one?

As an outsider I just think that the hype train around the leafs is unfair for the fans. Last year was a small sample size and the eastern conference got a lot better and more difficult to make the playoffs. Not to say they wont make the playoffs I just think three fanbases in the east are going to be really disappointed this year. (Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Tampa, NYI, Philly, Washington)

Bernier has a great hockey Canada pedigree but do you really think they are going to bring a goalie that assuming he starts and plays very well for the leafs will have never played a full season as a starter? Has never played in the NHL playoffs and has never won anything of significance at the pro level as a starter. Team Canada.... That just doesn't add up to me.

Not to say he isn't talented enough but the goaltender position is whats between the ears more then any spot. Mental toughness is the single most important aspect of that position. Not to say that Bernier doesn't have it but he just hasn't had the opportunity to show it. I don't think Canada gambles like that. For Example I don't even want Mike Smith on that team because he hasn't won anything of importance.

Dreger appears to me like a Leaf fan boy because its the only team he really talks about, that with the connection to Nonis makes for some unrealistic expectations placed on the leafs.

P.S my avatar isn't a hater thing Paul Byron is a buddy of mine and its the best NHL hit/picture he has going.

 

[BiggestLeafsFanEVER*]

I think it is unrealistic to think he has any chance of making the team. There are too many guys out front him.

 

[rojac]

Isn't this comment just a specific case of the general statement that has been made by the TSN panel (and possibly the Sportsnet one as well) that basically any Canadian goalie who plays extremely well from October-December could make the team?

 

[ForSpareParts*]

While I agree with the point you're making, you can't really not include the picks we traded but then also not include the players we got for them. (Basically Kessel needs to be on the list)

No.

You can't assume you know who they were going to draft with those picks. Kessel was traded for.

 

[bobbyflex]

You're quoting his salary for the season after this upcoming one because it makes it seem worse than it is. If you're going to try and make the connection between what Bernier costs us and not resigning Franson because of cap issues, why wouldn't you use his cap hit?

see below

He's adding the $500k we retained in Frattin and Scrivens' contracts to Bernier's $2.9M contract.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

Let him focus on becoming a starter in the NHL before worrying about playing for Canada.

 

[Rob Brown]

Let him focus on becoming a starter in the NHL before worrying about playing for Canada.

Who says he's worrying about it? Dreger brought it up, not him. Obviously his goal is to win the starting spot out of camp.

It might be unrealistic given who is in front of him, but anyone has the chance to make the team.

 

[jmart21]

see below

So, had we just kept Frattin and Scrivens, we'd be looking at 1.54M on our cap.

We're now looking at 3.4M

We've upgraded tremendously in goal at the cost of 1.86M in cap space - I'm happy.

 

[SteveV*]

and we all know that hockey executives are infallible. daigle, long term contracts, zherdev, cam barker all prove that right?

No, you're right, I'll take the opinion of "IceWookie" over Dave Nonis, my bad.

 

[X66]

I was being sarcastic.

Lol I thought it was obvious...

 

[Mansfield]

Reimer already outplayed most of those guys.

This. i think it much more likely he'd make it over bernier

 

[The Blue Devil]

He only looked good because of the Leafs amazing defence, apparently. Since Bernier is so much better, I expect annual Vezina's for Bernier.

I've seen him quoted and bashed a number of times, did people really not catch the sarcasm?

 

[The Blue Devil]

I'm all for Bernier, but where is his name mentioned?

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/sports...entation-camp/article13342399/?service=mobile

How does the invite list get extended?

That's just for summer, it can change throughout the season when they have their next camp.

 

[bansheebeat]

I don't think either of them make. If they're splitting the starting position for the first few months until they find out who sticks, neither of them will have enough games to take the spot away from one of the others.

 

[Frankie]

I'm not sure everybody is on board with the possibility of Bernier being stellar in the Leafs nets...

100% true. zeke and others would love to see him fail.

from the ages of 15 (and probably earlier) to 22, bernier was eilte among his age group. then he spent 3 years backing up the nhl's best goalie, and won a cup along the way. not a bad guy to have now at 25 years old.

I don't care if he plays with team Canada or not, aside from the fact that if he does, it means he's helped the leafs win a lot of games. and I don't care who plays in goal for the leafs, whether its bernier, reimer, or someone else. just win.

 

[Tavares2Matthews]

Before he plays himself onto Canada he has to steal the net from Reimer...good luck.

 

[TMLife*]

Even if bernier has the best stats in the league I bet he doesn't even make it as backup.

 

[Wendel17]

Reimer already outplayed most of those guys.

I love Reimer, but he is a rebound machine with a weak glove hand. He will get eaten alive at the Olympics if he doesn't clean up his game.

 

[Wendel17]

100% true. zeke and others would love to see him fail.

from the ages of 15 (and probably earlier) to 22, bernier was eilte among his age group. then he spent 3 years backing up the nhl's best goalie, and won a cup along the way. not a bad guy to have now at 25 years old.

I don't care if he plays with team Canada or not, aside from the fact that if he does, it means he's helped the leafs win a lot of games. and I don't care who plays in goal for the leafs, whether its bernier, reimer, or someone else. just win.

For once Frankie and I agree on something.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

Roberto Luongo
Carey Price
Mike Smith
Marc-Andre Fleury
Corey Crawford
Cam Ward
Braden Holtby

We should address this group no? The above players do have their kinks. Some could be shaky.

Fleury and Lu are on the downside of their careers. Price can be nervous in the service and doesn't have a very good playoff record. Crawford has come up pretty nicely, but can he do his battler thing in the Olympics? Holtby is pretty inexperienced, but decent. Ward could be a likely candidate.

Yes. There is room for Bernier. If he plays lights out then Team Canada should give him a look.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Roberto Luongo
Carey Price
Mike Smith
Marc-Andre Fleury
Corey Crawford
Cam Ward
Braden Holtby

We should address this group no? The above players do have their kinks. Some could be shaky.

Fleury and Lu are on the downside of their careers. Price can be nervous in the service and doesn't have a very good playoff record. Crawford has come up pretty nicely, but can he do his battler thing in the Olympics? Holtby is pretty inexperienced, but decent. Ward could be a likely candidate.

Yes. There is room for Bernier. If he plays lights out then Team Canada should give him a look.

You realize even if Bernier plays fantastic he has to put so much doubt for the others in what 40 games shared with Reimer to surpass a lot of guys above him. There's space for Bozak if he plays lights out too but let's call it what it is. Bernier is young, talented but his portfolio isn't enough for them to give him a realistic look. Maybe in 2018.

 

[zeke]

100% true. zeke and others would love to see him fail.

from the ages of 15 (and probably earlier) to 22, bernier was eilte among his age group. then he spent 3 years backing up the nhl's best goalie, and won a cup along the way. not a bad guy to have now at 25 years old.

I don't care if he plays with team Canada or not, aside from the fact that if he does, it means he's helped the leafs win a lot of games. and I don't care who plays in goal for the leafs, whether its bernier, reimer, or someone else. just win.

I would love to see Bernier succeed.

Unfortunately, I have nightmares about the Leafs once again playing the reputation goalie over the results goalie and sinking another season, because I've seen them (and other teams) doing it so often in the recent past.

The Leafs have won at a 100pt pace clip with young reimer in net, under 2 different coaches. They finally went with the ugly goalie with the pretty save percentage, instead of playing the "more talented" likes of Giguere, Gustavsson, and Toskala ahead of him, and had their first success in a decade. Would be a shame to waste that on yet another more stylish but unproven goalie.

but I promise you, I won't be all bitter about Bernier's success if it happens, like you are about Kadri's and Reimer's successes.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

You realize even if Bernier plays fantastic he has to put so much doubt for the others in what 40 games shared with Reimer to surpass a lot of guys above him. There's space for Bozak if he plays lights out too but let's call it what it is. Bernier is young, talented but his portfolio isn't enough for them to give him a realistic look. Maybe in 2018.

we're still talking about Bernier making it to the 3rd string position. if Fleury plays behind Vokoun for the first part of the season, Smith could lose his focus, and Luongo could be spending his every waking hour pressuring his agent to pressure Gillis to trade him to FLA.

i don't know.

i do know that there are kinks in the above goalies.

 

[Frankie]

I would love to see Bernier succeed.

Unfortunately, I have nightmares about the Leafs once again playing the reputation goalie over the results goalie and sinking another season, because I've seen them (and other teams) doing it so often in the recent past.

I don't think so. if bernier wins the job and helps the leafs win many games, I don't think you'll be very happy about that. you'd prefer he fails and proves you right. you've been saying for a long time that he's overhyped and not that good. you'd like to be right about that.

he's had pretty good results. everything about his resume to date is positive.

results or reputation or whatever, who cares? they'll compete for the job and Carlyle will go with the guy he thinks gives the best chance to win on any given night.