Calgary Flames Seeing Jonathan Bernier As An Option?
By Luke Ryan
More than once this season, Calgary Flames scouts have been seen watching games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier is a name that has consistently been mentioned.
The Calgary Flames need an upgrade in between the pipes and whilst based on numbers alone, Jonathan Bernier isn’t the most obvious choice, there’s every chance he may be able to succeed in Calgary Flames red, under a slightly smaller spotlight.
The Leafs are known to be a team with players available to trade and this isn’t the first and won’t be the last time we see Calgary Flames scouts at a Toronto Maple Leafs game. The question is always asked as to who they’re actually there to watch – Bernier is as good a guess as any.
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Think about it; he’s turning twenty-eight later this year and thus is likely soon going to be at the peak of his powers.
When he is in form, he’s as good as any guy between the pipes and is certainly an upgrade for the Calgary Flames from Jonas Hiller’s deteriorating play and Karri Ramo’s strong, yet inconsistent play.
A deal to bring him to the Calgary Flames would likely be relatively cheap given Bernier’s struggles for Toronto this season and his cap hit is roughly the same as Jonas Hiller, albeit for an extra year on contract.
A trade for him would likely look something like this, with Hiller and Bernier a straight-swap and a third or fourth round pick going to Toronto to sweeten the deal. After all, the Calgary Flames would be the buying team here.
The hypothetical of bringing Jonathan Bernier has been discussed before and the Calgary Flames choice of teams to scout suggests that it’s not a completely absurd idea. Bernier may well end up wearing a Calgary Flames jersey before trade deadline.
Related Story: Calgary Flames Interested In Jonathan Bernier
Sportsnet had picked up on the possibility back when we raised the idea originally so there could well be more to the notion, but only time will tell.
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Would dropping a third round pick for Jonathan Bernier be worth it? After all, a draft pick may never develop; in Bernier, you have a player ready-made to step into the Calgary Flames line-up. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.