The 2017 NHL Draft is now formally in the past for the Colorado Avalanche. We are currently fully immersed in the NHL’s “dead” period, which is the entire offseason. A move made by GM Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche isn’t receiving much attention.
The Avs acquired veteran goalie Jonathan Bernier for a reported $2.75 million in exchange for a one-year contract. Colorado needed a backup goalie after promising young player Calvin Pickard was selected by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft.
Bernier might feel like this move is deja vu, but in the end, it should work out well for both parties. In the midst of a rebuild, Bernier was traded to the Maple Leafs in 2013 to start in goal. After being released by the Leafs after the 2018 season, he is currently in Denver as part of what looks to be a rebuild.
It might go unnoticed, but Bernier had a respectable run of results while he was in Toronto. Before the real rebuild started, Bernier’s first season with the Maple Leafs saw him post a.923 SV%, good for tenth place in the NHL. That season, he ended with a 26-19-7 record. The Leafs had a below-.500 record, missed the playoffs, and started the rebuilding process.
Your goalie is the first to suffer when your blue line is exhausted. Over the next two seasons, Bernier’s numbers somewhat declined, but he was still able to maintain a goals against average below three and a save percentage above.900.
Though some may contend that Pickard has a higher ceiling, Bernier has outperformed Pickard statistically throughout his career in terms of supplanting him. In the 2016–17 campaign, Bernier recorded a 2.50 GAA and a.915 SV%, while Pickard recorded a 2.98 GAA and a.904 SV%. Bernier has a stellar career record of 2.65 GAA and a.915 SV%, while Pickard has a 2.77 GAA and a.914 SV% in Vegas.
“How does this make Bernier a better option between the pipes than Varlamov?” is probably what many of you reading this are asking yourself. The answer is that it might not always, but it might help lay the groundwork for future developments.
Given that Bernier has already undergone a rebuild, you can be sure that he is a seasoned player who can perform well under pressure. Additionally, the Colorado Avalanche have several options because he is still at the top of his game as a goaltender.
Option A: Bernier defeats Varlamov to win the position and become Colorado’s starter. Once an Avalanche goalie, Craig Anderson improved with age and is currently enjoying a very nice career in Ottawa. Bernier’s career could experience a similar outcome. He could, at the absolute least, pressure the one-year-old Varlamov to perform.
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